Dudafa: Jonathan never used me for money laundering

A former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Gooluck Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, Dr. Waripamo- Owei Dudafa, yesterday denied being used by a former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, to launder money.

He made the disclosure while testifying in a suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at a Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking final forfeiture of the sums of $8.4 million and N9.2 billion allegedly linked to Mrs. Jonathan. He told Justice Mojisola Olatoregun that all the funds in an account linked to a firm, Globus Integrated Services Ltd, were cash gifts given to the former First Lady during her husband tenure as Nigeria’s president.

“I was not procured by the family of Dame Patience Jonathan to conceal proceeds of unlawful activities and by virtue of being the former Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to the erstwhile president and the 1st respondent (Mrs. Jonathan), I was informed by the 1st respondent that the funds in the firm’s account are cash gifts that were given to her while she was the first lady”, Dudafa said.

The witness also denied that he was aware that a bag he received on behalf of Dr. Jonathan from one, Col. Adegbe, in the course of his duties contained $47 million which was allegedly removed from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the instruction of a former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki.

A former Head of Service of Bayelsa State, Mr. Fraser Ogboru and the South West Zonal Coordinator of an NGO, Women for Change Initiative, Chief Mrs. Kate Onyechere, had earlier testified in the matter. In his testimony, Ogboru, who claimed to have retired from Bayelsa State Civil Service on December 31, 2014, told the court that she had knew Mrs. Jonathan when her husband was a Deputy Governor. He claimed he was still in service when Mrs. Jonathan was appointed a permanent secretary. While being cross-examined by EFCC’s lawyer,Rotimi Oyedepo, the witness said he did not know when the former first lady stopped collecting salary as a permanent secretary.

On her part, Chief Mrs. Kate Onyechere explained the rationale behind the founding of the Women for Change Initiative by Mrs. Jonathan. She also revealed the various sources through which the initiative get fund to carry out its activities.

“The Initiative was formed by Mrs. Jonathan as a normal Non-Governmental Organization. The main thing is empowerment. We empower Nigerian women across 36 states. We have zonal, states and local government coordinators. “We organized luncheon and received donations across states to get funds. We also write private individuals to donate. Even, the coordinators also make donations”, she said. The witness further revealed that Mrs. Jonathan was unanimously adopted by the trustees and coordinators of the Initiative as the sole signatory to its accounts.