A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) application to freeze 67 bank accounts domiciled in different banks over alleged N52.9 million fraud.
Justice Emeka Nwite granted the application after the EFCC’s lawyer, Martha Babatunde, moved an ex-parte motion to the effect.
The motion ex-parte, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1895/V/2024, was filed by Miracle Anameze.
The motion sought an order empowering the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, or any other officer of the commission empowered by him to instruct the managing directors of the banks to stop all outward payment, operations, or transactions (including any bill of exchange) in respect of the bank accounts pending the conclusion of the investigation.
When the matter was called, the anti-graft lawyer informed the court that the application was dated December 16 and filed on December 17.
Babatunde said: “Our motion prays for an order of this honourable court freezing the bank accounts as stated in the scheduled attached
“There are three grounds attached.”
The lawyer urged the court to grant the application.
Justice Nwite then asked the lawyer how long the investigation would take and the latter said 90 days.
The judge, who held that the application was meritorious, granted the prayer.
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He, thereafter, adjourned the matter until March 24 for mention.
In the affidavit deposed to an investigator attached to the EFCC’s Procurement Fraud Section, Ikenna Chukwueze, the officer said he was part of the team assigned to investigate the matter.
He said the EFCC received a criminal petition on October 17, 2023, accompanied by the statement of account of Advance Development Services Engineering Limited (ADSEL) and signed by one Nnamdi Micheal Ogobuchi on behalf of ADSEL and Dollah Kingsley Nnamdi against Taiwo Abubakar Oluwajuwon and Heasy Enterprises.
He said the petition alleged the offence of internet-related fraud, conspiracy, and unauthorised withdrawal involving the sum of N52,991,000.
Chukwueze said the team commenced a discreet and thorough investigation into the matter to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of the petition.
The 67 accounts are domiciled in Union Bank, Stanbic Bank, GTBank, Wema Bank, OPAY, Zenith Bank, KUDA, UBA, FCMB, Moniepoint, Keystone Bank, and Access Bank.
Others include Providus Bank, Globus Bank, Polaris Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, TAJ Bank, First Bank, PalmPay, and VFD Microfinance Bank, among others.
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