The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured a court order on an account allegedly linked to Patience Jonathan. The account with N1.04bn is to be deposited in the treasury single account of the federal government.
The EFCC says it secured the forfeiture order after it received an intelligence alleging that a bank account domiciled in a bank, was said to have stored a huge sum of money that is not being used by anybody.
The Federal High Court sitting in Kano has ordered an interim forfeiture of the sum of N1.04bn allegedly hidden in the bank account of a company allegedly linked to former First Lady, Patience Jonathan.
The anti-graft agency in a statement on Thursday, January 31, said the forfeiture order was granted by Justice Lewis Allagoa against Magel Resort LTD.
“Upon receipt of the intelligence, the Commission swung into action by conducting a preliminary investigation which revealed that the former first lady and some relatives of the former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan are Directors of the Company,” the anti-graft commission said.
“Others named as directors of the company are Oba Oba Tamunotonye, Goodluck Jonathan Aruera, Goodluck Jonathan Ariwabai, and Esther Fynface."While tracing the origin of the money, it was discovered that N500, 000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) was deposited on the 20th May, 2015 by Esther Fynface, who is alleged to be in charge of the company while N1bn only was transferred in two tranches on the 25th May, 2015 from PAGMAT OIL AND GAS NIGERIA LIMITED a company that is not incorporated with the Corporate Affairs Commission.”