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EFCC vs Patience Jonathan: Why hearing adjourned again
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has adjourned till February 14 to hear a motion in a suit seeking to forfeit monies, including $6.4 million and N7.4 billion found in accounts linked to former First Lady Patience Jonathan.
The EFCC began the fresh moves to seize the funds in 15 bank accounts traced to Mrs. Jonathan.
The hearing initially billed for Monday was postponed as a result of the absence of Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, who was said to be attending a workshop.
Consequently, the case was adjourned until February 14 for hearing.
In two previous adjournments, EFCC’s counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, had appeared before Mrs. Olatoregun seeking to move an ex parte application for a temporary forfeiture of the said funds.
The move was, however, interrupted by Mrs. Jonathan’s lawyer, Ifedayo Adedipe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who challenged the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the ex parte application.
The lawyer told the court that the funds in questions were already subject of a pending litigation.
But Mr. Oyedepo maintained that Mr. Adedipe had no right of audience in the court, since the EFCC application was ex parte (without notice to other parties).
The ex parte application is supported by a 15-paragraph affidavit deposed to by an investigator with the EFCC, Huleji Tukura.
Oyedepo argued that he wondered how the senior lawyer got wind of the application by the anti-graft agency in the first place, and urged the court to disregard his appearance.
The court upheld Mr. Oyedepo’s submission.
The judge then adjourned the suit and directed the EFCC to file an affidavit to convince the court that there were no pending suits in relation to the same subject matter before the court.
In the said ex parte application, the EFCC listed Mrs. Jonathan and one Esther Oba as respondents.
Globus Integrated Services Ltd., Finchley Top Homes Ltd., Am-Pm Global Network Ltd., Pagmat Oil And Gas Ltd. and Magel Resort Ltd are also joined in the suit.
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