Admin l Tuesday, August 06, 2019
LAGOS, Nigeria – Justice Chuka Obiozor of a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos State, today ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) to freeze three bank accounts linked to the former Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode over alleged N9.9 billion fraud.
The three accounts are domiciled in First City Monument Bank, FCMB, alongside two other new generation banks with account numbers 5617984012, 0060949275 and 1011691254. Justice Obiozor arrived at the decision following an ex-parte application filled by the EFCC.
The anti-graft agency called on the court to freez the accounts pending conclusion of investigation and possible prosecution of Adewale Adesanya, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Chief of Staff to former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
In the motion filed, to investigate Kungmi Daniel, EFCC explained that it discovered “a huge inflow of N9,927,714,443.29” from the state accounts into an FCMB bank account opened on September 17, 2018 during the administration of former governor Akinwunmi Ambode and operated by Adesanya.
They argued that the schedule of the FCMB account showed how Adesanya and the other signatories to the account made fraudulent transfer from the accounts of the Lagos State Government and dissipated the funds housed in the said accounts.
Daniel added that the account always witnessed huge inflow from Lagos State Government in the above scheduled accounts managed by the respondent (Adesanya).
It noted that upon receipt of intelligence, the EFCC analysed it and found it worthy of investigation. The Commission therefore prayed the judge to issue an order to temporarily over the accounts to enable it to conclude its investigations.
“There have been concerted efforts and attempts to dissipate the contents of the accounts listed in the schedule to this application. Without freezing the nominated accounts and temporarily forfeiting the money to the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, there is no way the fraud being perpetrated using the scheduled accounts can be stopped.”
Justice Obiozor thereafter granted the prayers and adjourned further proceedings in the matter until August 9, 2019.
