Court rules July 1 in forfeiture suit against ex-First Lady

A Federal High Court, Lagos, has adjourned until July 1, judgment in a suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking final forfeiture of monies found in accounts linked to former First Lady, Patience Jonathan.

The commission is seeking final forfeiture of about $8.4 million and N7.4 billion found in the said accounts.

The case which was earlier fixed for June 27 has now been moved to July 1 and the new date has been communicated to the prosecution and respondents.

It would be recalled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had secured an interim order for forfeiture of the sums on April 20, 2018, before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun.

This was following a motion ex-parte filed by the anti-graft agency which joined Patience Jonathan, Globus Integrated Services Limited, Finchley Top Homes Limited., Am-Pm Global Network Limited, Pagmat Oil and Gas Limited and Magel Resort Limited and Esther Oba as respondents.

On October 29, 2018, the counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, moved the motion for final forfeiture of the sums, urging that same be finally forfeited to the federal government.

Meanwhile, defence counsel, Messrs Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) and Ige Asemudara had respectively, moved their processes opposition the motion for final forfeiture.

On January 15 this year, the court admitted electronic evidences presented by the respondent counsels depicting video exhibits showing various business outfits of Finchley Top Homes Limited and Magel Resort Limited.

The court then adjourned for judgment and in a judgment delivered on February 28, the court held that it found the affidavit evidences conflicting, adding that same can only be resolved by oral evidences of parties.

The court consequently, ordered parties to call their witnesses to give oral evidences.

Counsels to the prosecution and respondents then called their witnesses to give oral evidence. Those who testified include, an operative of the EFCC, Orji Chukwuma, Esther Oba (seventh respondent) for the prosecution while Achonye Obinna testified for Am-Pm Global Network and Okwu Emmanuel testified for Pagmat Oil and Gas.

Judgment has now been reserved for July 1.