Patience Jonathan loses bid to reclaim her seized $5.8m

The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, on Friday, January 12, upheld the decision of the Federal High Court in Lagos, which ordered the interim forfeiture of a sum of $5.8m found in Mrs. Patience Jonathan’s Skye Bank account.

The appellate court, in a lead judgment by Justice Mojeed Owoade, threw out the ex-President’s wife’s appeal, challenging the forfeiture of the funds to the Federal Government.




It held that the appeal lacked merit.

Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of the Federal High Court in Lagos had in April last year ordered the temporary forfeiture of the funds after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission argued that the money was reasonably suspected to the proceeds of fraud.

Apart from Patience’s personal account with $5.8m, the judge also froze a number of accounts linked with her including an Ecobank account, with a balance of N2.4bn, opened in the name of one La Wari Furniture and Bath Limited.




But efforts to secure an order for the permanent forfeiture of the money was opposed by Patience, through her lawyer, Mr. Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN).

Also, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), on behalf of La Wari Furniture and Bath Limited, opposed the permanent forfeiture of the funds in its client’s account.