A Federal High Court in Kano has ordered the forfeiture of N1,000,494,000 found in a bank account of MAGEL RESORT LIMITED, a company linked to a former first lady of Nigeria, Patience Jonathan.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), secured an interim forfeiture of the money, statement from the commission, signed by its Acting Head of Media and Publicity, Mr Tony Orilade, revealed.
Granting the order, the presiding judge, Justice Lewis Allagoa averred that the forfeiture was as a result of a motion exparte filed by the commission seeking for the interim forfeiture of the money.
Justice Allagoa ordered that the forfeited money be deposited in the Treasury Single Account (TSA) of the Federal Government.
The court order reads: “An interim forfeiture order is granted to the Federal Government in the sum of N1,000,494,000 in the Bank account of the 1st respondent MAGEL RESORT LIMITED 4011019546 which is maintained with 2nd respondent Fidelity Bank Plc.”
The EFCC received an intelligence alleging that a bank account domiciled in Fidelity Bank, was said to have stored huge sum of money that is not being used by anybody.
The statement added that upon receipt of the intelligence, the commission swung into action by conducting preliminary investigations which revealed that the former first lady and some relatives of the former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan are Directors of the Company.
Others named as directors of the company are Oba Oba Tamunotonye, Goodluck Jonathan Aruera, Goodluck Jonathan Ariwabai and Esther Fynface.
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