Former First Lady Patience Jonathan will forfeit N12 billion to the Federal Government, the Federal High Court in Lagos ruled on Monday (today).
The EFCC had sought the permanent seizure of $8.4 million (about N3billion) and N9.2 billion belonging to Patience Jonathan on suspicions that the sums were proceeds of crime. The judge ruled that according to evidences, the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan could not prove that the money was legitimately earned.
Though Patience, through her lawyers, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) and Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), opposed the application and insisted that the funds were legitimately her own, the court held that the EFCC proved its claim beyond reasonable doubts.
The breakdown of the forfeited funds as revealed by the EFCC are as follows: $3.65million, $4.7million, N1.81billion, N226.38million, N1.09billion, N39.42million, N7.22million, N55.94million, N174.17million, N858.93million, N1.81billion, N1.1billion, N317.40million, N1.90billion and $429.39million.
Justice Mojisola Olatoregun proceeded to grant the EFCC’s application for the forfeiture of the sums to the government.