The Federal High Court Abuja, on Thursday, granted the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s request to freeze two bank accounts
linked to a 26-year-old Nigerian student based abroad.

According
to the EFCC’s Counsel, Richard Dauda in an exparte application number:
FHC/ABJ/CS/921/2019, the commission is investigating a Suspicious
Transaction Report (STR) received from the Nigerian Financial
Intelligence Unit (NFIU) against the suspect, Mr Damilare Oluyemi.

”The
investigation revealed that the suspect in the case under investigation
is a student who was involved in suspicious transactions between May
11,2018 and June 6, 2018 amounting to 133, 955. 00 dollars and 40, 000
pounds,” he said.

He said investigation further revealed that the
suspect had ”substantial amount of funds in his Access Bank account
number: 0790473099 and the Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) account number:
9024884541590 which have not been touched.”

”A copy of the
statements of Access Bank and GTB of the suspect is attached and marked
as Exhibit EFCC 1 and EFCC 2 respectively,” he said.

Dauda told the court that all effort made to invite the major depositor, Lucy Otubo, has proved abortive, NAN reports.

He
said available intelligence report suggested that Otubo had relocated
to Turkey and frequently carried out transactions on these accounts.

The
counsel said the commission had been making efforts to ensure that the
fleeing suspect was tracked and possibly deported back to Nigeria to aid
further investigation but efforts so far made had not yielded positive
results.

He, therefore, told Justice Taiwo that it had become
imperative for the EFCC to apply for a freezing order and an order of
interim forfeiture in order yo prevent the suspect from making
withdrawals from the listed accounts.

He argued that
investigation had not been concluded due to the absence of the principal
suspect directly linked to the suspicious transactions who was still at
large.

Dauda urged the judge to grant the commission an order to freeze Oluyemi’s accounts for a six-month period.

”We
seek an order of this Honourable court granting the chairman of the
commission or any officer authorised by him power to instruct a bank
examiner to issue an order as specified in Form B of the schedule to the
EFCC Act 2004 to bank managers of banks or any person having accounts
shown hereunder for six months pending the completion of investigation
and possible arraignment,” he said.

Justice Taiwo, however, held that granting a six-month period for freezing the accounts would be too long.

The
judge, who ordered that the two bank accounts be frozen for 40 days
pending the conclusion of the commission’s investigation, said the owner
of the accounts must be put on notice through his banks on the freezing
order within 14 days.

He also held that the commission could
seek for extension of the days if it was yet to conclude its
investigation based on the order of the court.

The judge then adjourned till Oct. 4 for further hearing.