Court fixes Dec 8 for ruling on Patience Jonathan’ s human rights suit

The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed December 8 to rule in a suit by the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mrs Patience Jonathan, who complained that her fundamental human rights have been breached by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In the suit, Mrs. Jonathan is asking the court to compel the EFCC to respect her fundamental rights to privacy, dignity and fair hearing which she says have been serially violated.

The former first lady is also demanding N2billion damages from EFCC and compensation for the violation of her fundamental rights.

When the matter came up on Thursday, lawyer Jonathan, Mr Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) told the court that the EFCC had taken it upon itself to be an aggressive persecutor of his client.

According to Adedipe, the EFCC is expected to charge my client to court and not decide single handedly that the houses or funds acquired by her are proceeds of crime.
Adedipe said, “The rights conferred on citizens by Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) are fundamental rights which are distinct from statutory rights which can be tossed around.

“Fundamental rights are such that no one is permitted to infringe on, moreover, the constitution is written to protect the citizens from the “good” intentions of government.
“The government has enormous powers and that is why the constitution is there to protect the citizens from such powers.”

The senior advocate urged the court to order EFCC to desist from the incessant harassment of his client and to act according to its statue in the fight against graft.
Responding, lawyer to the EFCC, Mr F. Abdullah urged the court to dismiss Mrs Jonathan application. The court, he said should refuse the reliefs sought by Jonathan on the grounds that they were unmeritorious.

Abdullah referred the court to Section 44 (2) (k) of the Constitution, saying that the right of a citizen to own property was not absolute.
Justice John Tsoho later adjourned the matter till December 8 for his ruling.

Some of the other reliefs sought by Jonathan include an order of court declaring that the harassment she has suffered from the EFCC amounts to a gross violation of her rights as enshrined in Section 37 of the 1999

Andrew Orolua, Abuja.