The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed the Judgment of the Lagos division of the Court of Appeal which ordered Interim Forfeiture of the sum of N2.4bn allegedly traced to Patience Jonathan, wife of former President, Goodluck Jonathan. The apex court in a ruling delivered Friday, dismissed an application filed by Mrs. Jonathan, seeking to upturn the interim forfeiture order made last year by the appellate court.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had traced the money to her and alleged that it was the proceed of illegal activities. According to a statement by EFCC, the N2.4bn was surreptitiously kept in the bank account of La Wari Furniture and Baths Limited, domiciled with Eco Bank Plc.
Justice Mojisola Olaterogun 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 Federal Government. Dissatisfied with the ruling, Patience Jonathan approached the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, seeking to upturn the ruling of the lower court.
However, on January 12, 2018, the appellate court, in a lead judgement read by Justice Mojeed Owoade, 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.
The five-man panel of Supreme Court justices again in a unanimous ruling, delivered on Friday, March 15, 2019, upheld the interim forfeiture order of the N2.4 billion. Last week, a five-man panel of Supreme Court justices, had on Friday, March 8, 2019 in a unanimous judgement, also dismissed Patience Jonathan’s appeal against the interim forfeiture order of a Federal High Court, Lagos, for another $8.4 million traced to her by the EFCC and believed to be proceeds of illegal activities.
Recall that 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 probable cause why it should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government.
