Uzoma Akobundu
Accounts belonging to the Lagos state government and being operated in three banks- First City Monument Bank, Zenith bank and Access bank have been ordered frozen by the federal high court, Lagos.
The court gave the order on Tuesday, ruling that the accounts belong to the Lagos State Government.
The N9.9 billion in question is believed to be proceeds of fraudulent practices warehoused in three accounts in the aforesaid banks during former Governor Akinwumi Ambode’s tenure.
Ambode was denied a second term by the powers that be in Lagos for reasons best known to them. He was accused of not running an all- inclusive government.
He was expected to be appointed a minister but President Muhammadu Buhari changed his mind at the last minute.
Many people believe former Governor Bola Tinubu was instrumental to the ordeal Ambode faces currently.
The three bank accounts, 5617984012 (domiciled in First City Monument Bank) , 0060949275 (Access Bank), and 1011691254 (Zenith Bank).
Justice Chuka Obiozor ordered the “suspension” of the bank accounts following an ex-parte application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The Punch reported that the EFCC had prayed the judge to freeze the accounts pending the conclusion of the investigation and possible prosecution of the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Lagos State, Adewale Adesanya, for money laundering.
In an affidavit filed in support of the ex parte application, a member of the EFCC investigating team, Kungmi Daniel, said the commission 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.
Daniel said the schedule of the FCMB account showed how Adesanya and the other signatories to the account made fraudulent transfers from the accounts of the Lagos State Government and dissipated the funds housed in the said accounts.
“The trend in the account is that the account always witnessed huge inflow from Lagos State Government in the above-scheduled accounts managed by the respondent (Adesanya),” the investigator said.
He said upon the receipt of intelligence, the EFCC analysed it and found it worthy of investigation.
The EFCC prayed the court to grant it an order to temporarily attach and take 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,” the EFCC said.
After listening to submission by the EFCC lawyer, Mohammed Abbas, Justice Obiozor granted the prayers.
He adjourned further proceedings in the matter till August 9, 2019.