Former First Lady, Patience Jonathan and operatives of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are expected to appear before the House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Petitions on Tuesday, 19th September, 2017.
The investigation into the allegations bothering on incessant harassment by EFCC operatives and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), slated for 1pm at Room 4.27 New Building of the House of Representatives Wing, was confirmed by Uzoma Nkem-Abonta, Chairman of the Committee, during a chat with BusinessDay.
“She (Patience) is at liberty to either appear in person or be represented by authorized person,” Nkem-Abonta said.
Another lawmaker who is familiar with the activities of the Committee, frowned at the failure of the Commission to honour series of invitations and summons issued by various Standing Committees on various petitions.
He however noted that the Committee may resolve to dismiss the case if the anti-graft body fails to show up.
The former First Lady’s counsel, G. I. Abibo of Granville Abibo & Co, via a petition laid before the House on the 6th July, 2017, accused “EFCC through its Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu of sponsoring spurious report against our client to the United Kingdom authorities and other international bodies, all in a grand design to forestall her renewal of her international visa and other traveling documents.
“The allegations sprouted out against our client by the EFCC, were duly investigated by the UK authorities and other international bodies who found the reports baseless and thereupon issued the international visa and other travelling documents to our client.
“There have been assassination attempts, at least twice, between February and April, 2017 against our client ostensibly by the operatives of EFCC along the Yenagoa-Mbiama road, Bayelsa state in furtherance of its unlawful actions against the former first family.
“On the 3rd of May, 2017, the agents/officials of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in a convoy of about 20 Lorrie’s and over 70 personnel raised our client’s NGO – Aridolf Jo Resort Wellness and Spa Limited situated at Expressway, Kpansia, Bayelsa state and orchestrated a massive destruction or personal properties belonging to our client, without any lawful court order or search warrant and caused mayhem there under the guise of trying to collect unpaid taxes without following any due process provides by law to do so,” the petition read in part.
Patience Jonathan who dragged the Commission to Court in February, 2017 over alleged breach of her fundamental human rights, prayed the Court to unfreeze $20 million in her bank accounts and those of her relatives.
She asked the Court to rule that the ransacking of her family property by the officials of the EFCC was illegal and also demanded the payment of N2 billion in damages.
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
