” The money was given to me by the governors. I didn’t steal any money ” …Patience Jonathan .

As court resumes hearing of the case filled against her by Economic and financial crimes commission on Friday 24th May , Patience Jonathan, a Former First lady has asked Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of federal high court in lagos to instruct the EFCC to release her $5.7 and N2.4bn which they seized.

She argued that since nobody has come forward to accuse her of stealing their money , the money should be released to her.

Patience Jonathan.

The Former First lady insisted that the seized money were cash gifts given to her by governors when her husband was in office and never proceeds of crime .

Speaking through her counsel ,Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), Mrs patience argued that it was wrong for anyone to tag her money as proceeds of crime as the EFCC has not been able to prove that she was involved in financial crimes while her husband was a President.

Her counsel maintained that the section 17 of the advance Fee Fraud, which the antigraft agency relied on to seize Mrs Jonathan’s money , was meant for fraudsters only and so the application by EFCC ,praying that the money be seized permanently should be dismissed .

“It is not the law that if the EFCC finds money in an account and it doesn’t like the owner’s face, it comes to court and says ‘forfeit it’. The government is at liberty to apply for forfeiture but the offence must be stated. The first respondent is a wife to a former deputy governor, governor, vice president, and president. Even the current occupier of the office of the First Lady wants to build a university. In this country, First Ladies enjoy a lot of goodwill. She (Patience Jonathan) stated that governors gave her money. Nobody wrote that she stole their money,” Chief Ifedayo said .

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