Court Orders For The Forfeiture Of $8.4m And N3.2bn Owned By Former First Lady, To The Federal Government

Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the forfeiture of ex First Lady Patience Jonathan’s $8.4 million and N9.2 billion to the Federal Government.

Delivering judgement in the suit filed before her court by the EFCC today Monday July 1st, Justice Olatoregun held that the money is reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime.

She granted an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that the money should be permanently forfeited.

The judge held that Mrs Jonathan could not prove that the money was legitimately earned.

Mrs Jonathan's lawyer, Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), had held that the money in question were cash gifts the former first lady received from well wishers while her husband, Goodluck Jonathan, was in office.