Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Four suspects have been arrested by operatives of Operation Puff Adder, of the Bayelsa State Police Command, for allegedly stealing jewellery and other valuables in the Otuoke home of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Investigations indicated that the four suspects, who are believed to be in-laws to the former president, reportedly broke into his house and carted away jewellery, customised walking sticks and other valuables which police sources put at N.3 billion.
Further investigation showed that two of the suspects, who are male, are related to former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, while the two other suspects, who are female, are members of the Jonathan family.
One of the suspects, a management staff of the Aridolf Resort, Hotel and Spa, owned by Mrs. Jonathan, was alleged to have duplicated the keys to the rooms where the valuables were kept and led the operation to cart away the valuables.
Some domestic staff were said to have noticed the theft and raised the alarm, leading to the invitation of the police and investigations, which led to the arrest of the four suspects and recovery of some jewellery.
Family sources said the former first family are shocked by the action of the suspects, especially the management staff of the hotel; for her role in the alleged theft in their house.
“The four suspects are domestic staff known to the Jonathan family as they have been working for them over the years.
“They have been involved in cleaning and taking care of the house.
“However they now stole from the house.
“They opened the doors in which the valuables were and stole valuables.The doors they could not open with a key was forced open,” another source said.
He added that said the suspects are showing signs of remorse and regretted their actions and have been pleading for forgiveness.
“They are already making useful confessions to the police and some monies from the proceeds are being recovered,” the source said.
Meanwhile, on July 1, the Federal High Court in Lagos ordered permanent forfeiture of N9.2 billion and $8.4 million recovered from Patience.
Justice Mojisola Olatoregun ordered that the funds should be forfeited to the Federal Government.
The judgment followed an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which said the funds were proceeds of crime.
Although the former first lady, through her lawyers, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) and Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), opposed the application and insisted that the funds were legitimately her own, the judge held that she had “no doubts, at all, that these monies are proceeds of unlawful activities.”
Justice Olatoregun said the respondents “failed to dispel the suspicion created by movement of the monies within the meaning and contemplation of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related offences Act,…”