A Federal Excessive Court docket in Abuja has okayed the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC)’s utility to freeze 24 financial institution accounts domiciled in numerous banks over allegations bordering on terrorism financing.
Justice Emeka Nwite, who granted the appliance after the EFCC’s lawyer, Martha Babatunde, moved an ex-parte movement to the impact, gave the fee the go-ahead to freeze the accounts for 90 days pending the conclusion of investigation.
The Information Company of Nigeria (NAN) experiences that the movement ex-parte, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1897/V/2024, was filed by Ekele Iheanacho, SAN.
Iheanacho sought an order freezing the financial institution accounts acknowledged within the schedule which accounts are owned by Lawrence Fortunate Eromosele who’s presently being investigated in a case involving kidnapping pending the conclusion of the investigation.
He stated the financial institution accounts in respect of which the reliefs had been sought are topic issues of investigation by the EFCC in relation to cash laundering and terrorism financing.
The senior lawyer stated the preliminary investigation performed to date revealed that the financial institution accounts are linked to individuals who benefit from the digital cryptocurrency trade platforms to illegally manipulate the worth of naira and laundering proceeds of illegal actions.
He stated there was have to protect the funds within the recognized financial institution accounts pending the conclusion of investigation and potential prosecution.
Within the affidavit deposed to by Mohammed Khalil, an investigator connected to the Particular Investigation Staff of the EFCC domiciled within the Workplace of the Nationwide Safety Adviser (ONSA), he stated he was a member of the crew assigned to analyze the matter.
He stated the Nationwide Safety Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, directed the crew to analyze a severe menace by a syndicate threatening the lives of senior operatives of the NSA by making calls for for funds of ransom.
He stated on receipt of the directive, the crew started investigation by conducting surveillance of the actions on these syndicates, requesting financial institution devices.
Kalil stated investigation revealed Lawrence Fortunate Eromosele as one of many perpetrators of the crime.
In response to him, the operatives obtained a direct menace involving their households, with the perpetrators offering the properties addresses, household areas and particular actions with a menace to kidnap following failure to remit redemption funds.
He alleged that “one unknown particular person contacted an operative, demoing some monies in trade for his or her freedom and that of their households.”
“Hooked up and marked as Exhibit EFCC 1 is the printout of the chat between one of many perpetrators and the operative.”The officer stated in a bid to mitigate a number of the threats, the crew had recognized financial institution accounts linked to the people making the threats.
“Hooked up and marked as Exhibit EFCC 2 are the financial institution statements of one of many suspects.
“Additional intelligence has revealed that proceeds of crimes and funds for terrorist actions are covertly exchanged by way of these platforms,” he stated.
Kalil stated the order of the court docket was essential to freeze the stated accounts clearly described in schedule 1 to the movement paper for which investigation is ongoing.
Upon resumed listening to, Babatunde, who appeared for EFCC, knowledgeable the court docket that the movement was dated and filed on Dec. 17.
She stated the movement prayed for an order freezing the financial institution accounts within the schedule connected to the appliance.
The lawyer urged the court docket to grant the reduction.
When Justice Nwite requested her for a way lengthy the investigation could be performed, Babatunde stated inside 90 days.
The choose, who granted the prayer, adjourned the matter till March 24,, 2025 for point out.
