Patience Jonathan’s $15.591m case gets new date

THE Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday adjourned hearing of ex-First Lady Mrs. Patience Jonathan’s suit seeking to unfreeze her accounts till December 4.

The accounts are said to have $15.5 million in them.

Justice Mohammed Idris adjourned to enable the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) regularise its processes.

The judge on May 8 held that Mrs. Jonathan and other parties must give oral evidence on the money’s ownership.

According to him, all the defendants’ counter-affidavits contain disputed facts that could not be decided without oral evidence.

“In the circumstances, the court hereby orders that the parties herein file pleadings in accordance with the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2009 and trial shall then proceed accordingly,” Justice Idris held.

The EFCC had urged the court not to unfreeze the accounts because the money was suspected to be “proceed of crime”.

A bank, Jonathan’s former aide Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, Pluto Property and Investment Company Ltd, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Ltd, Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Ltd and Avalon Global Property Development Ltd are the other respondents.