BEVERLY HILLS, January 12, (THEWILL) – The Court of Appeal in Lagos has dismissed an appeal filed by wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, over the temporary forfeiture of her $5.7million.
She had appealed against a ruling by Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of the Federal High Court, Lagos which temporarily ordered that the money be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Olatoregun made the order based on an ex-parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through its counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo.
The judge also ordered the temporary forfeiture N2,421,953,522.78 found in an Ecobank Nigeria Limited account numbered 2022000760 in the name of La Wari Furniture and Baths Limited which the EFCC said belongs to Mrs. Jonathan.
However, Patience, through her lawyer, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), urged the court to declare Section 17 of Advance Fee Fraud Act unconstitutional for being in conflict with the Evidence Act and the 1999 Constitution.
In a judgment delivered by Justice Mojeed Owoade, the appellate court held that the appeals lacked merit and similarly dismissed an appeal filed by La Wari Funiture and Baths.
The court upheld the constitutionality of Section 17 of the Advance Fee fraud Act, which empowers the EFCC to apply for the forfeiture of property reasonably suspected to be proceed of unlawful activity to the federal government.
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