Patience Jonathan withdraws case against EFCC, fined N500,000

A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday struck out a suit by former First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan, against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
It will be recalled that the former First lady, Mrs Jonathan had filed the suit against the anti-graft agency asking the court for the ‎“Enforcement of her fundamental rights to own property, fair hearing, human dignity, private and family life and freedom from discrimination.”

Counsel to the EFCC, Kayode Oni through a preliminary objection, challenged the jurisdiction ‎of the court to entertain the matter.

At the resumed hearing yesterday, counsel to Mrs Jonathan, ‎Sammie Somiari said her client had filed an application to discontinue the case.
On his part, counsel to EFCC, Mr Oni told the court that it was within the limit of the former First lady to seek withdrawal but quickly pressed for a cost of N500,000 to cover cost of filing processes to the suit.

Justice Salisu Seidu in his verdict, trashed the case and subsequently awarded as cost N500,000 against the plaintiff, Mrs Jonathan.