Nigeria’s former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, has written to the EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, to prevail on his operatives so that some $31.4m in her Skye bank account could be released to her.
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The decision of the anti-graft agency to restrict the account, led to speculations that the Federal Government is going after the former first family.
A letter from her lawyers, published in several Nigerian newspapers today, alleges that $15m (£11.4m) was blocked in July – and that the money is for the former first lady to settle medical bills overseas.
News24 reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) claimed that it traced an additional $5 million dollars to the account Patience.
Mr. Mohammed, who was speaking to reporters in his hometown of Oro, Kwara State on Tuesday, said “If you look at the history of Mrs. Patience Jonathan’s issue, I think she was the one that came out to claim that the money found in the accounts of one of the aides to the former President, her husband, belonged to her”.
EFCC has frozen the account as it suspected the funds were proceeds of money laundering.
Patience Jonathan’s hotel in Yenogoa, Bayelsa state.
According to reports, the people says they were amazed at the audacity of Mrs Jonathan to claim ownership of the over $30million found in the accounts linked to Dudafa, which is now being claimed by Dame Jonathan.
In the event that she is not able to justify, explain or put forth evidence demonstrating the legitimate origin of the $15m, SERAP urges you to take immediate steps to forfeit the asset under appropriate legal proceedings, and to institute criminal prosecution for unexplained wealth in the matter.
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The directors of the company were all domestic worker of Waripamowei Dudafa, Jonathan’s special adviser on domestic affairs who Patience had asked to open accounts for her using the money.
