New Telegraph

Court hears EFCC’s motion to forfeit Jonathan’s $5.78m, N2.4bn to FG

Justice Garba Ringim of a Federal High Court in Lagos will on October 7 hear a motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking the final forfeiture of the sums of $5.78 million and N2.4 billion, linked to a former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, to the Federal Government.

The judge fixed the date after hearing arguments of parties in the matter which had Mrs. Jonathan and a firm, LA Wari Furniture and Baths as defendants.

At the resumed hearing of the matter on Monday, EFCC’s lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo, narrated how far the matter had gone to the judge, who just took charge of the matter.

He said: “This matter is a suit instituted before your learned brother, Justice Olatoregun now retired, where we prayed for the final forfeiture of the sums of $5,781,173.55, warehoused in Skye Bank Plc. and N2, 421,953,502.78, property of LA Wari Furniture and Baths in Ecobank Plc.

“It was instituted and an interim order was granted on April 24, 2017, upon which it went up to Supreme Court and an application for its final forfeiture was moved but the trial judge didn’t deliver judgement before retiring.

“It was upon that fact that the file was transferred to the registry where it was reassigned to the former judge and subsequently your Lordship.”

Responding, Jonathan’s lawyer, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) told Justice Ringim that the case was adjourned for mention because it was coming up for the first time before him

However, the lawyer representing the firm, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) sought an adjournment of the case to allow him file a motion challenging the constitutionality of the entire proceedings.

Specifically, the silk prayed the court to grant a long adjournment to enable him file a motion asking that the matter should start afresh.

Opposing Ozekhome’s request, the EFCC’s lawyer said the anti-graft agency had already complied with the procedures enshrined in Section 17 of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other related offences Act.

He further drew the court’s attention to the proceedings of February 17, 2021 where the former judge adjourned hearing of the motion for final forfeiture to April 13. He said the hearing was, however, stalled owing to the strike by Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

The lawyer prayed further that should the court be inclined to granting an adjournment, it should be for the motion of final forfeiture.

In a Bench ruling, Justice Ringim noted that proceedings of this nature is a special one and cannot be truncated by any application.

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