The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday
withdrew its application seeking to stay the execution of a court order which
unfroze the Skye Bank account of the wife of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan,
Patience with a balance of $5.9m.
A counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, appeared before the
Federal High Court in Lagos which on April 6 unfroze Patience’s account,
stating that the commission had changed its mind about appealing the unfreezing
order.
He equally told the presiding judge, Justice Mojisola
Olatoregun, that the commission was withdrawing its application seeking to stay
the execution of the order.
Responding, Patience’s lawyer, Mr. Ifedayo Adedipe,
confirmed being served with the EFCC’s application to withdraw its application
for stay of proceedings.
Adedipe said in view of the EFCC’s action, he would also
withdraw the Form 48 and Form 49 he filed to cite Skye Bank for contempt of
court for not allowing Patience access to her account in spite of the court
order.
After hearing both parties out, Justice Olatoregun granted
their prayers to withdraw their respective applications.
With the development, Patience Jonathan now has unfettered
access to her bank account.
At the instance of the EFCC last year, Justice Olatoregun
had made an interim order freezing multiple accounts linked with Patience.
The order was pursuant to an ex parte application by the
anti-graft agency, wherein one of its operatives, Abdulahi Tukur, had told the
judge that the funds retained in the said accounts were suspected proceeds of
crime.
Tukur had told the judge that intelligence report by the
anti-graft agency necessitated that the accounts be investigated, adding that
it would be in the interest of justice that the accounts be frozen.
The accounts, opened in the names of companies and an
individual, had a cumulative balance of N7,418,829,290.94 (N7.4bn) and
$429,381.87.
Apart from Patience’s personal account, also affected were
five companies, namely: Finchley Top Homes Limited, Aribawa Aruera, Magel
Resort Limited, AM-PM Global Network Limited, Pansy Oil and Gas Limited.
Finchley Top Homes Limited’s account numbered 1102001996 in
Ecobank, with a balance of N226,376,700.23 and a fixed deposit of
N1,099,511,484.88 was frozen.
Similarly affected were the company’s Skye Bank account
numbered 1771731336, with a balance of N14,173,848.85; Fidelity Bank account
numbered, 4011019539 with a balance of N1,800,494,000; Stanbic Bank account
numbered, 0016901361, with a balance of N40,594,12.88; and Diamond Bank account
0019213687 with a balance of N39,418,712.12.
Aribawa Aruera Reachout Foundation opened account number 1222014221 with Ecobank and has a closing balance of N479,893,431.01, while Magel Resort Limited accounts (4011019546/5250059782) with Fidelity Bank has a subsisting balance of N1,000,494,000.
The company also operates a Zenith Bank account numbered,
1011744356, which has a balance of N858,923,982, and a Diamond Bank account
numbered 0024351590 with had a balance of N174,166,207.00.
AM-PM Global Network Limited opened account number 0026718889 at Diamond Bank and has a balance of N7,213,303.50.
The account numbered 4011019577 opened by Pansy Oil and Gas
Limited at Fidelity Bank had a balance of N1,809,666,494.68, while the
company’s account in Diamond Bank has a balance of N55,930,024.50.
Also affected was one Esther Oba. Oba has a balance of $429,381.87 in her account.
Also affected was one Esther Oba. Oba has a balance of $429,381.87 in her account.
The coast is now clear for the former first lady of Nigeria,
Mrs. Patience Ibifaka Jonathan, to access her account with Skye Bank Plc, where
she housed $5. 842, 316. 66M.
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