Court strikes out EFCC’s suit, seeking final forfeiture of Patience Jonathan’s $5.8m

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday asked a Federal High Court to strike out a suit it had earlier filed against former First Lady, Patience Jonathan over her alleged links to $5, 842, 316. 66 domiciled in Skye Bank Plc.

The EFCC had approached the court to seek forfeiture of the money to the Federal Government but at Thursday’s proceedings, the commission withdrew the suit and asked the court to strike it out.

The defendants in the suit are five companies, which were alleged to have total sums of N7, 418, 829, 290.94 billion, and one Esther Oba, who is said to be having $429, 381.87 million.

The companies are Finchley Top Homes Limited, AM-PM Global Network Limited, Aribawa Arura Reachout Foundation, and Pagmat Oil and Gas Limited and Mabel Resort Limited.

The monies were said to be kept in six different commercial banks.

However, at the resumed hearing of the matter, lawyer to other respondents, except Skye Bank Plc, Mr. Ige Asemudara, told the court that he was duly informed by the EFCC lawyer, Mr Mohammed Idris, who was equally in court, that, the anti-graft agency had signified to discontinued the suit, by filing a notice of discontinuance.

Asemudara, therefore, urged the court to strike out the suit.

Asemudara’s application was granted, and Justice Mojisola Olatoregun consequently struck out the suit.

Nigerian Tribune recalls that the court had earlier frozen the account sometimes in December 2016, based on EFCC’s exparte application, pending the conclusion of investigation on the money, in a suit marked FHC/L/CS/1342/16, between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Skye Bank Plc and the companies listed above and Esther Oba.

The judge had also ordered the EFCC to file an undertaking as to damages if it turned out that the order was