Court unfreezes 16 accounts belonging to Patience Jonathan
An Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has set aside its order made on May 30, freezing 16 accounts belonging to wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Justice Binta Nyako withdrew the order on Tuesday on the grounds that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission which secured the freezing order failed to conduct its investigation into the alleged infractions involving the 16 accounts.
The court’s decision followed an application by the counsel to Mrs. Jonathan asking the court to set aside an ex-parte motion filed by the EFCC for continued control of the accounts.
The lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, described EFCC’s motion as an abuse of court process.
Mr. Ozekhome told PREMIUM TIMES that the court had ordered the EFCC to conduct its investigation within 90 days of freezing the accounts in May, but that the commission failed to carry out the said investigation.
“The judge, Justice Binta, had given the EFCC 90 days within which to investigate and prosecute parties involved in the allegations but they never did that. So we asked the court to set aside the interim forfeiture order. The judge set aside the order granted on May 30,” Mr. Ozekhome said.
More Stories
TERRORISM: WE’RE BATTLE READY, SAYS NNAMDI KANU’S COUNSEL, EJIMAKOR AHEAD OF MONDAY’S TRIAL
The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu’s lead counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, has said the legal team...
PORTABLE ARRESTED AGAIN FOR ASSAULTING POLICE OFFICER
Portable has been arrested again for assaulting a police officer after he got released from custody over debt of his...
EFCC HANDS OVER $22,000 RECOVERED FROM CONVICTED FRAUDSTER TO FBI
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Friday, handed over $22,000 recovered from a convicted internet fraudster, Hakeem Olanrewaju, to...
TROOPS FOIL KIDNAP ATTEMPT, NEUTRALISE IPOB/ESN MEMBERS, RECOVER WEAPONS
Troops of Operation UDO KA on Friday 17 May 2024 foiled an attempted kidnap of another law-abiding South Easterner (names...
POLICE ARREST THREE FOR ROBBERY IN ENUGU
The Enugu State Police Command has arrested three suspects for alleged armed robbery in the Enugu metropolis and Oji-River axis...
NEDC MOVES TO REDUCE SECONDARY SCHOOL DROPOUT, IMPROVE STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE
The NorthEast Development Commission (NEDC) has initiated a programme to reduce the number of post-primary dropouts due to the decline...