The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested four domestic servants, including a driver and a houseboy, whose names were used to open bank accounts for Mrs Dame Patience Jonathan, the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Sources within the anti-graft agency said on Sunday that the companies’ accounts were opened at Skye Bank.

The companies are Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Limited, Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited and Globus Integrated Service Limited.

The four companies’ accounts, which have since been frozen by the EFCC, have a balance of about $15m while another account, which bears Patience Jonathan’s name, has $5m.

Mr. Sammie Somiari, who deposed to an affidavit on behalf of the ex-President’s wife, said the former First Lady was the owner of the money in the accounts.

She had revealed that she gave millions of dollars to the then Special Adviser to the President on Domestic Affairs, Waripamowei Dudafa, to open accounts for her.

Somiari, however, claimed that Dudafa opened five accounts for Patience and that only one of the accounts was in her name, while the other four were opened in the names of companies belonging to Dudafa.

A detective at the EFCC, however, revealed that Dudafa used his domestic servants’ names to open the four other accounts and then deposited the money into the accounts.

The operative added, “We were investigating Dudafa when we stumbled on those four companies’ domiciliary accounts opened at Skye Bank with a balance of about $15m. On further investigation, we were able to identify the directors of the companies.

“When we detained the directors, we found out that they were Dudafa’s domestic servants. One of them was a houseboy while another one was a driver. Their photographs were used in opening the accounts and their signatures were forged.

“We found out that these domestic servants were completely innocent because they had no access to the accounts. We have since released them. The sole signatory to the accounts was Patience Jonathan and she was issued with a special card, which is accepted worldwide. She has a separate account, which was opened in her name and has a balance of $5m.”

The detective said a lawyer, Amajuoyi Briggs, who allegedly helped Dudafa to perpetrate the fraud, would also be arraigned.

It was learnt that two Skye Bank executives, Demola Bolodeoku and Dipo Oshodi, who helped Dudafa to open the accounts on March 22, 2010, were also being investigated.

The detective added, “This is a clear case of fraud and there is no way the bank officials will say they did not know what was going on. They are under investigation and those found culpable will be arraigned.”

The EFCC operative said he could not immediately confirm if the transaction was reported to the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit.

He explained that the commission had discovered a trend which politicians used in laundering and concealing funds, saying it was becoming more rampant due to the operation of the Bank Verification Number which links all accounts owned by an individual.

He added, “What we have noticed is that in order to conceal funds, what politicians and top civil servants do is to open bank accounts in the name of family or friends and then make themselves the sole signatory to the account.

“Don’t forget that we traced about 17 bank accounts to the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (retd.).

“Often times, they do this in connivance with bank officials and that is why the EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, has said henceforth, whenever we are investigating a bank official, we will probe the entire bank as well because these officials usually act under the instruction of their superiors.”

Jonathan’s wife has, however, sued Skye Bank for freezing her bank accounts and giving the EFCC vital information about her finances.

She also wants the court to order Skye Bank to pay her damages in the sum of N200m for what she termed a violation of her right to own personal properties under Section 44 of the 1999 Constitution.

AngryNigerian:
Something must be done to banks that receive these monies without recourse to due diligence in accepting deposits! They have all these while been the custodians of funds of corrupt people...

tit:
useless efcc
"a special card which was acceptable worldwide".

my atm card is acceptable worldwide too.
come and capture me.
this people mumu pass baba suwe own.

(has baba suwe made any movie recently or he is chopping ndlea money?)

HungerBAD:
This is painful.

I can deal with an educated person stealing from me. There is nothing more painful, more than seeing an illiterate steal an educated and enlightened Country like Nigeria blind.

I feel insulted a person like Patience Jonathan, is stealing from Nigeria.

I still say it. It is not the fault of the Jonathan's that they were minding their business, when the corrupt system via the PDP, came and put honey in their mouth to lick, and boy did these guys and their surrogates lick.

This is very painful.

modath:


Done like how? When the heads of the regulatory bodies were put there by same powers that be... Emefiele got his position as a "Thank you" for his "co-operation" when he was Zenith's big boss, not cos of competence and you expect same man to wield the big stick??

You are talking due diligence when it is an open secret that banks actively seek out clean fine chicks to employ purely with the intent to "exchange" them for deposits from HNI..

modath:

I'm 100% sure this is no fresh discovery but the government decided to let info "leak" so that the na "awa pikin" "Jona's govt was sabotaged" "all problems is Buhari' fault" can see why their lives is now messed up!!


These people balled all through but still managed to sow seed of discord in people's minds that will push them to come online with their 10mb gift on 100n recharge to "explain" this or worse deflect attention by asking about "Buratai" !!!

As if Buratai will remain an "officially protected person (OPP, C Pius Adesanmi 2016) till the end of time!!


There have been whispers that River park estate on airport road belongs to mama piss, even if she managed to triplicate herself and the 3 have worked from the day of their conception, nothing in this world can explain it!!! Sure proceed of corruption!!



*see her strong face with horrible eyebrows on top all the thievery* Class has no price tag!

todayboy:
Media trials

Efcc is the most useless organization

Tyche:
Enough of all the media trials and NL convictions. The EFCC is now the symbolic dog that barks but doesn't bite, otherwise, how do you explain all the media trials that have amounted to nothing.

meanwhile, how far with Saraki's case sef

Yomieluv:
Am not even interested in a thieving antics, what's getting me overboard is the rate at the the sicko, and poverty driven people are defending her.

Money meant for the public, siphoned blindly by a common criminal, yet some people are defending her..

Shame on our "na our pikin" mentality..


She's just a common thief, if found guilty.