The wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of making a mockery of the judiciary. This was contained in an application, which she filed through her lawyers, Mr. Ifedayo Adedipe SAN and Chief Mike Ozekhome SAN, seeking to reclaim the sums of $ 8, 435, 788. 84 and N 7 .35 bn seized from her by the EFCC.
The EFCC said it found the money in 15 bank accounts linked with Patience, saying it believed the money originated from the coffers of the Bayelsa State Government, where Patience, at a time, served as a permanent secretary. The EFCC alleged that Patience gained access to the funds by fraudulently assuming the identity of one Esther Oba as the signatory to the accounts.
The anti graft agency had last December, through an ex parte application, obtained an order, temporarily forfeiting the money to the Federal Government. But Patience kicked against the freezing order, describing the ex parte application leading to it as an abuse of court processes. Adedipe, who is representing Patience before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun at the Federal High Court in Lagos, contended that the money was already a subject of litigation before Justice Binta Nyako at the Abuja division of the court.
He accused the EFCC of concealing material facts while obtaining the temporary forfeiture order from Justice Olatoregun. "The ex parte originating summons filed by the EFCC amounts to forum shopping, thus an abuse of court process. "The respondent is making great mockery of this judicial system and in extension this honourable court.”Adedipe said. He urged Justice Olatoregun to discharge the temporarily forfeiture order and grant Patience access to her money. The court will hear the application on today, Tuesday.