Court Freezes Companies Accounts Over N175.3m Forex Fraud

A Federal High Court, in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Thursday ordered that 23 bank accounts domiciled with eight commercial banks, belonging to some companies and individual be frozen pending the conclusion of investigation on the accounts.
These banks which housed the 23 accounts are : Diamond Bank Plc, Skye Bank Plc, First City Monument Bank Plc (FCMB), First Bank Nigeria Plc, and four others.
The order of the court was a result of an Ex-parte application filed and argued before the court, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission legal officer (EFCC), Mr Murtala Usman in a suit filed by the Federal Republic of Nigeria and four respondents-Wale Adekunle, Tosin Affinnih, Edward Williams and Olayinka Loveth.
The EFCC urged the court to make an order empowering its Executive Chairman or any other officers of the Commission to instruct the Managing Director of the affected banks contained in the schedule attached to the application to freeze the accounts belonging to the respondents pending the conclusion of investigation.
The respondents’ accounts are: Atlantic Finaplux Limited, Manhattan Corporate Essential Limited, Jodaf Investment Limited, Frenolen International Limited, Medlams Global Services, Tankarawa Bureau De Change, Self Reliance Advancement Programs and Desmie Medical Services.
Others includes: Calculus and Company, Mass Investment Fund, Limited, Domareen Global Services Limited, Mayiwa Williams Samuel, Sodipo Oludare, Soyode Akinlanwon, and Buchi and Seyi Obiefuna.
Others also including: Olateru Moses Olujimi, Alhassan Shuaibu Ibrahim, Adesanya Adeniyi Peter, Igboegwu Emeka Dominic, Ado Shuaibu Dandasundu, Musbau Abidemi, and Ali Mohammed.
The presiding judge, Prof. Chuka Obiozor, granted the application, after listened to the submission of the EFCC lawyer.
The judge, however, ordered the EFCC to publish the said order in two national newspapers for anyone who may have interest in the said accounts to show cause before the court while the order should not made absolute.
Subsequently the suit was adjourned till December 15.
The EFCC, in an affidavit and affidavit of urgency deposed by one of its investigators, Boniface Uzoechi urged the court to grant the application, Uzoechi, stated that on July 6, 2017, his agency received a call petition dates June 5, 2017, from S. D. Ijie and Associates, on behalf of Equitorial Energy Limited, alleging therein a case of obtaining money under false pretence and stealing to the tune of N175.3 million.