Court Freezes Patience Jonathan’s Multiple Accounts

A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the freezing of multiple bank accounts linked to the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience.

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.

The court presided over by Justice Mojisola Olatoregun made the freezing order following an application for an interim injunction to that effect by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The EFCC had in an affidavit deposed to by one of its operatives, Mr. Abdulahi Tukur, told the judge that suspected proceeds of crime were retained in the accounts and urged the judge to urgently froze the accounts pending the conclusion of its investigations.

Tukur had told the judge that intelligence report at the anti-graft agency’s demanded that the accounts be investigated, adding that it would be in the interest of justice that the accounts be frozen.

In granting the order, Justice Olatoregun, however, ordered the EFCC to sign an undertaking that it would indemnify the defendants it it turned out that the freezing order ought not to have been made.

Affected by the order is Patience’ account with Skye Bank with a balance of f $5,316.66.

Also affected are 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 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.

Credit: Punch