- Dame Patience Jonathan is reportedly appealing to a court in Abuja to unfreeze 16 accounts linked to her and companies she has interest in
- Mrs Jonathan argues, in a motion by her counsel, Mike Ozekhome, that the order of the court has lapsed
- She also accused the federal government of seeking the same order in another court
Immediate past first lady of Nigeria, Dame Patience Jonathan, has appealed to the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to lift the temporary freezing of 16 bank accounts allegedly linked to her and some firms.
The Nation reports that the accounts, which have $5.8 million and N3.5 billion, are mostly located in some new generation banks.
The report said Mrs Jonathan’s request is part of a motion she filed before the court faulting the method adopted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in obtaining two ex-parte interim freezing orders on the accounts.
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She also argued that the action of the court on the accounts had lapsed since the first order was made on May 30 and renewed on October 10.
According to the report, Mrs Jonathan argued further that the accounts were maintained by her, the incorporated trustees of her foundation - Ariwabai Aruera Reachout Foundation – and nine other companies in which she has interest.
In the motion filed by her lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), the former first lady said that the Federal High Court in Abuja, on May 30 , 2017, granted an ex-parte order in favour of the of the government against all the accounts own and operated by her and the companies.
She explained that the federal government also went before the Lagos division of the court, presided over by Justice CMA Olatoregun, to obtain a similar order on October 10, on accounts held by her, Finchley Top Homes limited and Ariwabai Aruera Reachout Foundation.
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Justice Binta Nyako, has adjourned the case to November 23.
NAIJ.com earlier reported that Patience Jonathan reportedly had her N350 million frozen temporarily by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.
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Source: Naija.ng
ROSY CREST
Thursday 16 November 2017