Hearing in the N200m fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by the wife of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, against Skye Bank Plc and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission began on Tuesday, with a former aide of the President, Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, testifying for the ex-First Lady.
Patience filed the suit in 2016 to challenge the ‘No Debit Order’ placed by the EFCC on four Skye Bank accounts having a total of $15, 591,700.
Apart from Skye Bank and the EFCC, Dudafa and the four companies were also joined as defendants in the suit.
The names of the companies were given as Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited; Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Limited; Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited; and Avalon Global Property Development Limited.
At the hearing opening of the hearing on Tuesday, Dudafa entered the witness box to testify in favour of Patience against the EFCC and other defendants.
Led by Patience’s lawyer, Mr. G.I. Abibo (SAN), Dudafa adopted his witness’ statement on oath and urged Justice Mohammed Idris to adopt same as his evidence in the case.
He was then handed over to the EFCC lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, for cross-examination.
Oyedepo started by asking Dudafa if he knew one Festus Iyoha, to which Dudafa answered in the affirmative, explaining that Iyoha was “a presidential steward; a steward that was attached to the President, the Commander-in-Chief.”
He was also asked if he knew one Peter, to which he also answered in the affirmative, explaining that Peter was also a presidential steward.
“As you know, I was a servant, a domestic assistant to the President. By virtue of my position, I never had power to give instructions. I could only relay instructions of the then President and his wife to any aide that was available, including Festus and Peter,” Dudafa said.
When Oyedepo posed the question again, insisting that Dudafa had yet to answer it, Dudafa threw back at him, “I will not be cowed or cajoled. I am under oath; probably Mr. Rotimi needs to be educated about the workings of the Presidency.”
Seeing the stand-off between Oyedepo and Dudafa, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), who is also a defence counsel in the case, rose and told the judge that Dudafa had already answered the question.
But a heated argument soon ensued between Ozekhome and Oyedepo, with the latter alleging that the former was prejudicing his case.
It took the intervention of other SANs, Messrs Ifedayo Adedipe and Lanre Ogunlesi, to calm frayed nerves, after which Oyedepo went back to Dudafa, posing the same question, and insisting that he must answer it.