The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has frozen a Skye Bank account belonging to former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan with a balance of $5m.

According to reports, the step was taken after Mrs. Jonathan confirmed that the money came from the same source as the four frozen company accounts.

A detective at the EFCC told Punch, “Recall that we had frozen the four companies’ accounts, which Patience Jonathan later laid claim to. We have been able to establish that the money was part of proceeds of crime.

“She had no evidence that the money in the four accounts belonged to her. All she had were platinum debit cards, which she was using to withdraw money and the cards are not evidence of ownership.

“Initially, we had traced $5m to her personal account, which we did not touch but I can confirm to you now that the $5m account, bearing Patience Jonathan’s name, has also been seized since she claimed that the monies in the company accounts and the one in her personal name all emanated from the same source.

“We are tracing other accounts belonging to Patience. It will interest you to know that despite all the letters she has written, she has never stated where she got the money from. She claimed to be a housewife and yet she has $20m.”

The EFCC had uncovered four company accounts with a balance of $15m domiciled with Skye Bank while investigating a former Special Adviser to ex-President Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, Waripamowei Dudafa.

Patience Jonathan had laid claim to the accounts, stating that the money was for her medical bills.

The EFCC had also arraigned the four companies alongside Dudafa, a lawyer and a Skye Bank official for alleged money laundering which the companies pleaded guilty to.

Azeez