Niger Delta militants, the Niger Delta Peoples Professional Volunteer Force have threatened to launch an IED attack on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Towers in the Federal Capital Territoty Abuja, if the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) went ahead to arrest former First Lady, Patience Jonathan over the USD15m found in her bank account.
They also demanded that the EFCC lifts restriction on the account.
Warpamo Dudafa, former Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to the ex-president Jonathan and two others, Amajuoyi Briggs, a lawyer and Adedamola Bolodeoku, a banker, were arraigned alongside the companies said to have links with former First Lady, Dame Patient Jonathan, over an alleged $15 million fraud charge brought against them before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos recently.
They were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a 15 count charge of conspiracy and fraud.
The four companies, Pluto Properties and Investment Company, Seagate Property Development Company, Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Ltd, and Avalon Global Property Ltd, all of which allegedly have links with former First Lady, Dame Patient Jonathan, yesterday, pleaded guilty to alleged $15 million fraud charge brought against them before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Jonathan faulted the authenticity of the representatives of the four companies who pleaded guilty to the charges.
The trial judge, Justice Babs Kuewumi however, declined prosecution’s request, adding that he would adjourn to a later date.
The former First Lady, through her media aide, Chima Osuji, alleged that EFCC presented four unknown people as representatives of the companies, all of who did not show letters authorising them by their respective boards to represent them in the case.
Osuji stated: “This is a clear evidence of the desperation of the prosecution to pull down the former First Lady and confiscate her hard-earned money.
“It is an irony as it was the former first lady who went to court for the repatriation of her confiscated money, when she realised that the EFCC and its co-travellers were playing politics with this issue, after she had come out publicly to say that the said money belongs to her and that she has all evidence to prove the sources of her money. ”Up till this very moment, EFCC has refused to interrogate or invite her for questioning.”