In Abuja, the Federal High Court granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s request to freeze 67 bank accounts, spanning numerous financial institutions, due to an alleged ₦52.9 million fraud that is currently under investigation.
Justice Emeka Nwite granted the application following an ex-parte motion filed by Martha Babatunde, EFCC counsel. The motion ex-parte, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1895/V/2024, was filed by Miracle Anameze.
The EFCC requested a court order to enable its chairman, Ola Plucked, or any authorized officer, to direct bank managing directors to freeze certain accounts and suspend transactions pending investigation.
The anti-graft lawyer informed the court that the motion, dated December 16 and filed on December 17, requested the freezing of the accounts listed in an attached schedule based on three stated grounds. The lawyer urged the court to grant the application.
“There are three grounds attached,” she said. Babatunde urged the court to grant the application. Justice Nwite then asked the lawyer for how long the investigation took and she said 90 days.
The judge, who held that the application was meritorious, granted the prayer. He adjourned the matter until March 24 for mention.
The EFCC argued that the bank accounts in question contained proceeds of crime and needed to be frozen to prevent fund dissipation. The EFCC is investigating the accounts. In an affidavit, investigator Ikenna Chukwueze from the Procurement Fraud Section stated that the investigation stemmed from a criminal petition received on October 17, 2023.
Barr signed the petition, accompanied by ADSEL’s account statement. Nnamdi Michael Ogobuchi on behalf of ADSEL and Mr Dollah Kingsley Nnamdi against Taiwo Abubakar Oluwajuwon and Heasy Enterprises.
The petition alleged offences of internet-related fraud, conspiracy, and unauthorized withdrawal involving the sum of ₦52,991,000.00 (fifty-two million, nine hundred and ninety-one thousand naira).
Chukwueze stated that a discreet and thorough investigation was launched to verify the claims made in the petition.
Preliminary findings revealed that the petitioner operates a corporate naira account (No. 10277491959) with VFD Microfinance Bank. On October 16, 2023, the petitioner’s account was compromised, and ₦50 million was withdrawn in rapid succession and transferred to an account at Moniepoint Microfinance Bank under the name Heasy Enterprises (Acct No. 8220378843), owned by Oluwajuwon.
“The statement of account of Heasy Enterprises, confirming the receipt of ₦50,000,000 (fifty million naira), is attached and marked as Exhibit EFCC 2,” he said.
The 67 accounts are domiciled across various banks, including Union Bank, Stanbic Bank, GTBank, Wema Bank, OPAY, Zenith Bank, KUDA, UBA, FCMB, Moniepoint, Keystone Bank, Access Bank, Providus Bank, Globus Bank, Polaris Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, TAJ Bank, First Bank, PALMPAY, and VFD Microfinance Bank.