‘I Legitimately Worked for $31.4million in My Skye Bank Account’-Patience Jonathan, former Nigeria’s First Lady *Says: ‘It’s Insulting, Abuse of Powers for EFCC to Freeze my Bank Account’ *Vows: ‘I’m Going to Prove My Innocence in Case File No FHC/L/C5/1233/16’ *Laments: ‘My Fundamental Right has been Breached by Anti-Graft Agency’

‘I Legitimately Worked for $31.4million in My Skye Bank Account’–Patience Jonathan, former Nigeria’s First Lady

*Says: ‘It’s Insulting, Abuse of Powers for EFCC to Freeze my Bank Account’

*Vows: ‘I’m Going to Prove My Innocence in Case File No FHC/L/C5/1233/16‘

*Laments: ‘My Fundamental Right has been Breached by Anti-Graft Agency’

BY BOYODE ODUNFA/CRIME REPORTER

NIGERIA’S former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan is not happy at the moment. She is fuming wondering the audacity of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to have placed a ‘No Debit/Freezing Order’ on her Skye Bank account containing details of financial proceeds from her businesses.

Patience becomes more angry when she discovered Nigeria’s Anti-graft agency has no official authourity from any competent law court in the nation to have used as a premise to shut down her bank account.

Investigation by this reporter revealed that this matter came to Patience as a shock few days ago, as she had earlier ordered one of her aides to get her full details of her bank updates from Skye Bank only to be told by her Account Manager in Skye Bank that her bank account has been frozen with a ‘No Debit/Freezing Order’ by EFCC. Patience was livid with anger, wondering why lawlessness has taken over Nigeria!

Immediately she ordered Gboyega Oduwole, her attorney to file a fundamental right against EFCC since she could not deny ownership of her money. For this reason, Patience has claimed that the $31.4 million involved in an alleged fraud case where the EFCC had issued a No Debit/Freezing Order belongs to her. Patience told her attorney that she worked very hard for her money and that it is insulting for the Anti graft agency to freeze her account.

Counsel to the first defendant in charge, Gboyega Oduwole informed the Federal High Court in Lagos that Nigeria’s ex-First Lady had filed a fundamental application against the EFCC, claiming ownership of the money.

Patience, in the application filed on September 6, 2016, with file number FHC/L/C5/1233/16, is asking the court to make an order for the enforcement of her fundamental rights, in terms of reliefs she sought, and naming as defendants, the EFCC and Skye Bank Plc.

The case, with number FHC/337C/16, has the former presidential aide, Amajuoyi Azubike Briggs, former Skye Bank official, Damola Bolodeoku, Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited and Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited, all who are allegedly without addresses, as defendants. Others also charged include Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Limited and Globus Integrated Services Limited.

This Nigeria’s former First lady asked the court to make a declaration that the fund standing to the credit of four of the companies and an account in her own name in Skye Bank belonged to her. She also asked the court to declare that the action of the respondents in placing a No Debit/Freezing Order on the said accounts without any order of a competent court of law or prior notice to her, to be in breach of her fundamental rights as contained in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.