The Supreme Court has dismissed an application filed by Patience Jonathan, wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, seeking to upturn the interim forfeiture order by a Federal High Court in Lagos placed on the sum of N2.4 billion linked to her.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had traced the said sum to her and alleged that it was proceeds of illegal activities.
According to the EFCC, the N2.4billion was surreptitiously kept in the bank account of La Wari Furniture and Baths Limited, domiciled with Ecobank Plc.
Justice Mojisola Olaterogun had in 2017 ordered the interim forfeiture of the money, and held that anyone interested in it should appear before the court to show cause why it should not be finally forfeited to the Nigerian government.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, Mrs. Jonathan had approached the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, seeking to upturn the ruling of the lower court.
However, ruling on the appeal on January 12, 2018, the appellate court, in a lead judgement read by Justice Mojeed Owoade, rather upheld the interim forfeiture order.
Not satisfied with the ruling of the appellate court, Patience, through her counsel, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), again filed an appeal challenging the ruling before the Supreme Court.
However, the five-man panel of Supreme Court justices, in a unanimous ruling delivered on Friday, upheld the interim forfeiture order of the N2.4 billion.
A five-man panel of Supreme Court justices had on Friday, March 8, 2019 in a unanimous judgement, also dismissed Patience’s appeal against the interim forfeiture order of a Federal High Court, Lagos, of another $8.4million traced to her by the EFCC and believed to be proceeds of illegal activities.
–
