EFCC: Probe of Patience Jonathan raising tension in Niger Delta — Group

TENSION is gradually being mounted up in Niger Delta region of the country over alleged persecution and hounding of the former First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan by the officials of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, a group, The Integrity Group has said.

Executive Director of the Group, Mr Livingstone Wechie, who briefed newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja, condemned the freezing of the Bank Accounts of Mrs Jonathan by the EFCC under the guise of investigation.

He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene to stop further harassment of the former First Lady in order to avert crisis of “imaginable proportion” brewing in the region.

He disclosed that findings by the group has shown that Patience Jonathan which was initially in card bearing account under Pluto Properties Ltd including monies belonging to her late mother in Trans Occean Properties and Seagate Properties limited respectively which totals a little below $10 million all in Sky Bank were opened by their former aide Mr Waripamo Dudafa through these companies allegedly owned by him.

Wechie, said further investigation revealed that Patience Jonathan had filled all relevant document to harmonise all the accounts to her personal name about two years ago.

He added the freezing of the accounts by EFCC was wrong, saying there was no known law inNigeria that compels individuals to explain how he or she made his or her money provided especially where there was no trace of corrupt enrichment against the former First Lady.

According to him, the group views with serious concern that what was happening was a plot to systematically ensure the seizure of every asset belonging the former  Goodluck Jonathan family.

Wechie said: “We advised President Buhari to exercise statesmanship and wisely avoid this fire of hounding Patience and Goodluck Jonathan who quietly and pricelessly conceded defeat in the last Presidential election.

“The ongoing probe of Jonathans is not only currently causing tension in Niger Delta but is capable of resulting in unforeseen circumstances touching on existence of Nigeria.

“It is on record that the crisis that trailed the Tompolo attempted arrest which some have tied to occasioning the emergence of Avengers and resulting to the current oil crisis, vis-a-vis the current economic recession.

“In our views these are voidable crises as there are serious worries that this attack on Patience and his husband may spark up avoidable security problems in the old Eastern.

Nigeria and we are willing to support Mr President in averting the same,” he said.