Court mandates EFCC To Unfreeze Patience Jonathan’s $5.9m

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been directed by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to unfreeze the account of Patience Jonathan, wife of former President, which contains $5,842,316.66 at Skye bank Plc.. The directive of the court followed an application argued by her lawyer Mr. Adedayo Adedipe SAN – who led about seven other lawyers.

It would be recalled that the Federal high court sitting in Lagos had in December last year ordered the freezing of multiple accounts by the EFCC, suspected to be owned by Dame Patience Jonathan.

The court while giving reasons as to why it ordered the accounts frozen said it was on the ground that the money is suspected to be proceeds of crime.

However, today, during hearing, Adedipe urged the court to unfreeze the account on the ground that Patience Jonathan was not a party in the suit leading to the order made by the court.

Mr Adedipe while citing judicial authorities contended that the order was an abuse of court process as the court has no jurisdiction to make an order against a party that is not a party in a suit filed before the court.

The EFCC which initiated the suit leading to the order made by the court freezing the account did not file any response to the application filed to discharge the order.

The trial judge Justice Mojisola Olatoregun upheld the submission of Mr. Adedipe and discharged the order freezing the account.