Patience Jonathan denies ownership of $175m allegedly traced to her account

Former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, has claimed that she has nothing to do with the $175m purportedly “missing without a trace” from Skye Bank.
Mrs. Jonathan, who distanced herself from the said amount supposedly missing from her bank accounts, noted that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had not linked her to any investigation to the effect.

Recall that Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court Lagos, had on Tuesday refused to restrain a fellow judge from taking steps in relation to the frozen $15.5 million allegedly belonging to Patience Jonathan.

Mr. Idris declined an application by counsel to the former first lady, Ifedayo Adedipe, who sought an order to restrain Justice Babs Kuewumi from taking further steps on the frozen sum.
However, the ex-First Lady in a statement released Wednesday, said she had less than $10m in her account when it was frozen by the EFCC.

In a statement signed by Sam Dokubo, her spokesperson, she said the claims made against her by the anti-graft agency were false, “otherwise it should be officially substantiated”.
“The purported story in a newspaper on November 19, 2016, about a missing $175m allegedly belonging to the former first lady is not just fictitious but plain falsehood.

“The EFCC has not made any statement to the existence of an investigation of any missing $175m linked to the former first lady.
“If any such funds as claimed, which was deposited by certain verifiable persons has gone missing without a trace from a known bank, Skye Bank, as was reported, then, the bank, its officials and those mentioned must be held to account for the funds and not the former first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, who was in no way a part of the transaction.
“The claim that the money was credited to a company linked to Dame Patience Jonathan is also false; otherwise it should be officially substantiated with credible evidence by Skye Bank and the EFCC that are jointly mentioned in the report.”