A federal high court in Abuja has granted a request from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to freeze 67 bank accounts over alleged N52.9 million fraud.
Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, granted the ex parte application.
The EFCC had asked the court to empower its chairman, Ola Olukoyede, and other officers of the agency, to instruct the managing directors of the affected banks to stop transactions on the accounts pending the conclusion of investigation.
Martha Babatunde, counsel to the EFCC, told the court that the affected bank accounts contained proceeds of crimes.
Babatunde prayed the court to grant the freeze order in order to prevent the dissipation of the funds.
She added that the application filed by the anti-graft agency was anchored on three grounds.
Asked how long it would take the agency to investigate, Babatunde said 90 days.
The presiding judge ruled that the application was meritorious and granted the 90-day request for the freezing of the accounts.
THE AFFIDAVIT
The affidavit attached to the application was deposed by Ikenga Chukwueze, an EFCC investigator.
In the affidavit, Chukwueze said the agency received a petition from Advance Development Services Engineering Limited (ADSEL) against Taiwo Abubakar Oluwajuwon and Heasy Enterprises.
The investigator said ADSEL reported that over N50 million was illegally withdrawn from its corporate account with VFD Microfinance Bank on October 16, 2023.
Chukwueze said after the money was withdrawn, it was transferred to an account belonging to Heasy Enterprises and operated by Oluwajuwon.
The investigator alleged that Oluwajuwon transferred part of the money to different accounts which were attached to the application.
Earlier, the court granted the EFCC’s request to freeze 24 bank accounts over alleged terrorism financing.
