Seized $8.4m: Supreme Court dismisses Patience Jonathan appeal

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the appeal filed by wife of the former president, challenging the interim forfeiture order by federal high court in Lagos of the $8.4 million traced to her account.

In its judgement on Friday, a five-man panel of the court led by Dattijo Muhammad unanimously ruled that the appeal filed by wife of the former president, challenging the interim forfeiture, was without merit.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had announced that it traced the money to her.

The court also directed the former first lady to go before the federal high court to explain why the funds should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.

In April, Mojisola Olatoregun of the federal high, Lagos, granted EFCC the ex parte order.

She also ordered the EFCC to publish the court’s order in any major national newspaper to enable the respondents or anyone interested in the funds to appear before the court to show cause within 14 days why the final order of forfeiture of the said funds should not be made in favour of the federal government .

Jonnathan’s wife had filed an appeal before the court of appeal to challenge the competence of the ex parte application filed by the EFCC to request the order of interim forfeiture.

She also challenged the validity of the order made by the trial court and the constitutionality of section 17 of AFFA.

But the court dismissed her appeal, prompting her to approach the apex court.