* Jonathan 
Wife of former president, Mrs Patience Jonathan, Monday  told  Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court Abuja, that her property demolished on the orders of the Federal Government is still under litigation.

 Mrs Jonathan had been dragged to court by the  Economic and Financial Crime Commission EFCC,  seeking temporary forfeiture of  some properties in Abuja belonging to Mrs Jonathan, situated at plot No. 1758, Cadastral Zone, B06 Mabushi and plot No.1350, Cadastral Zone, A00 Central Business District, Abuja.

 The Prosecution premised its  ex parte originating summons on Section 6(d), 7(2), 24(a), 26(1), 28 and 29 of the EFCC (Establish) Act 2004; Section 330(a) of Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015; Section 15 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended); Section 44(2)(k) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

 In reaction to the demolition, Mrs Jonathan, through her counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, filed a preliminary objection challenging jurisdiction of the court to entertain an exparte motion brought by the EFCC. 

 When the matter was called for hearing, Monday,  Ozekhome,  before moving his preliminary objection, informed the court that the buildings, which were the subject matter of the litigation, had been demolished.

 He told the court that the properties were demolished by the Federal Government, whose agent, the EFCC had come to court seeking an interim forfeiture of the property.

 "My Lord, we are in a democracy, not dictatorship, gerontocracy, absolutism, oligarchy, despotism, fascism or anarchy. We are operating a democracy, which was defined in 1873 by Abraham Lincoln.

 "Demolition of the properties which are a subject matter of a suit before the court is the highest level of lawlessness and disregard to the rule of law.

 "It is an act of intimidation on the judiciary.

 "In view of the development, we are filing an affidavit evidence to show photographs, video CDs and newspaper reports that covered the demolition.

 "You cannot destroy properties already a subject matter of a suit before a court whether done directly or indirectly by government or EFCC.”

 Reacting to Ozekhome's submission, counsel to EFCC, Benedict Manji, denied knowledge of the demolition. 

 Consequently, Justice Dimgba in the ruling stated that he could not make any order that would become academic or hypothetical, and  adjourned further hearing to February 26, 2018