Wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience Jonathan, has filed a fundamental human rights enforcement suit against EFCC, seeking N2bn as compensation for alleged harassment.
She alleged in the suit filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja that the EFCC violated her rights by incessantly harassing her through negative media publications.
She alleged that the EFCC was denigrating and degrading her person as corrupt, without any invitation for interrogation, trial or conviction.
Mrs. Jonathan cited instances of alleged harassment by EFCC in an affidavit in support of the suit.
She said the instances included the invasion of her properties and the freezing of her accounts, those of her siblings, relatives and her late mother, Mama Sisi Charity Oba.
The supporting affidavit to the suit deposed to by one of her lawyers, Sammie Somiari, stated, “The investigation into the operations of her pet project, when she was First Lady, is an unprecedented act of animosity against her as none of her projects was funded by the government at any level.
“The respondent had physically raided the homes of the applicant and her relatives both in Abuja and Yenagoa.
“Recently the respondent raided the home of the applicant’s first daughter, both at Port Harcourt and Abuja.
“The respondent has waged a psychological war on the applicant by its threats of arrest of the applicant and her relations, such as Mrs. Esther Oba, Tamunotonye Oba and her elder brother, Mr. Aseminaso Nyengierefaka.”
She alleged that the commission was persecuting her over her “political views” during the campaign for the 2015 presidential election which her husband contested against President Buhari.
The matter came up before Justice John Tsoho on Thursday. It was adjourned until November 16.
The EFCC is expected to file its response to the suit before then.
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