Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of a Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday ordered the temporary forfeiture of the sums of $8, 435,789.84 and N9, 185, 327, 362, linked to a former First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, and six others, to the Federal government of Nigeria. The monies were said to be domiciled in Skye Bank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc, Stabic-IBTC and First Bank Plc. Joined, as respondents alongside Mrs. Jonathan, in the suit marked FHC/L/ CS/620/2018, are Globus Integrated Service Limited, Finchley Top Homes Limited, AM-PM Global Network Limited, Pagmat Oil and Gas Limited, and Magel Resort Limited, and one Esther Oba. Justice Olatoregun had, on April 14, struck out the same application, for being an abuse of court processes.
However, the court ordered that the monies be temporarily forfeited to the federal government, after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on April 19, re-fi led the application on the ground that it had consolidated all other suits of the same subject matter and parties. Consequently, Justice Olatoregun, on April 20, granted the order for temporary forfeiture of the monies, after being satisfi ed with EFCC’s application before the court. After granting the EFCC’s application, Justice Olatoregun ordered the EFCC to publish the forfeiture order in any national newspaper, within 14 days, so that any persons who has interest in the monies should show cause why the monies will not be permanently forfeited to the federal government. The matter has been adjourned till Friday, for further hearing.
