Civil group comes in defence of Patience Jonathan protests prosecution by EFCC

A civil society group under the aegis of Integrity Friends for Truth And Peace Initiative have come forward in defence of Nigeria’s former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, protesting what it describes as her malicious prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

In a recent release, the group stated its observation regarding the posture of the EFCC in its anti-corruption fight particularly as it relates to the aforementioned. It flawed the anti-graft agency on its mode of investigation and prosecution; accusing it of ostensibly carrying out same via the media, while cooking up allegations of corruption on the former First Lady.

It read, ‘The Integrity Group has and will continually support a genuine anti-corruption war subject to the rule of law, equity and good conscience based on international best practices and standards.

‘Our findings show that Patience Jonathan as of right through the Court, claims monies in her personal account in the name Patience Jonathan which was initially in a card bearing account under Pluto Properties Ltd including monies belonging to her late mother in Trans Ocean Properties and Seagate Properties Limited respectively which totals a little below ten million dollars all in Skye Bank which were opened by their former aide Mr. Waripamo Dudafa through these companies allegedly owned by him.

‘Whereas Patience Jonathan had filled all relevant document to harmonize all accounts to her personal name about two years ago with Skye Bank was debited from the three accounts to the tone of three hundred thousand Dollars for this purpose, yet for sinister reasons that Skye Bank is yet to substantiate, it failed to completely regularize the said details and also failed to inform Patience Jonathan of a subsequent EFCC caveat freezing the account.

‘For the records, no Nigerian under any Law including Patience Jonathan is under any obligation to explain how he/she made his/her money.

‘Thus no law in Nigeria limits the amount of money anybody should own. Also no law in Nigeria criminalizes the ownership of money no matter the amount involved.

‘That the cumulative value of the monies in the Skye Bank account that Mrs. Jonathan claims is less than ten million dollars (below $10 million). The report credited to the EFCC that the monies were in excess of $30 million is completely false, malicious and misleading and this is deliberate. The EFCC is challenged to provide public evidence of its claim of $31 million lodged in Skye Bank in the aforementioned company names.’

The case came up at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi Lagos last Friday and Justice Babs Kuewum dismissed an application by Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel Dudafa, an aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan and one of his co-accused in an alleged $15.5 million fraud, Amajuoyi Azubuike Briggs, seeking to reverse the plea of guilty entered into by four firms who were charged with them.

Members of civil groups came out in large numbers at the court’s car park in peaceful protest of what the alleged as an act by the Commission to denigrate the person of the former First Lady of the Federation. 

The case was adjourned to November 2, 2016 for further hearing.