A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday issued an interim order to freeze 21 accounts held in various commercial banks and directed the arrest of their holders.
The order was granted by Justice Emeka Nwite following an ex-parte motion filed by Ibrahim Mohammed, counsel for the Inspector-General of Police.
Justice Nwite also instructed the banks to provide detailed information about the accounts and to impose a Post-No-Debit (PND) restriction, disable the associated ATMs, and permit only inflows into the accounts until the investigation is concluded.
“I have listened to the submission of the learned counsel for applicant and gone through the affidavit evidence.
“I am of the view that the motion ex-parte is meritorious.
“The application is hereby granted except that the investigation can only last for a period of 90 days,” Justice Nwite said.
The judge adjourned the case to April 3 for mention.
The banks involved include Access Bank Plc, Sterling Bank Ltd, Wema Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Union Bank Plc, Guarantee Trust Bank Ltd, United Bank for Africa Plc, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, First Monument Bank Plc, Heritage Bank Plc, TAJ Bank Plc, and Keystone Bank Plc.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Inspector-General of Police (I-G) is the applicant in the ex-parte motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1965/V/2024, with the 13 banks listed as the 1st to 13th defendants.
In the motion filed by Ibrahim Mohammed, counsel for the I-G, an interim order was sought to direct the banks to freeze the specified accounts listed in the schedule attached to the summons, pending investigation and prosecution of the case.
“An order directing the banks to issue details of the account package(s) and to place a Post-No-Debit (PND) on the accounts, disable the ATM while allowing inflow into the said account as from the date of this court order.
“An order of the court directing the bank to apprehend the account holder or any person transacting business on the said account and contact the police through this number: 09011483807”
Giving two grounds, the lawyer said the accounts are subject of investigation and are reasonably suspected to be warehousing proceeds of unlawful activities or fraud.
He said: “If there is any dealing with the accounts by way of withdrawal or transfer to another account by the person under investigation/investigator and the person that have absolute power to deal with the account will render nugatory any consequential order(s) which the court may make at the conclusion of this application.”
In the affidavit deposed to by Glory Ohio, a detective with the Nigeria Police Force attached to Force Criminal Investigation Department, on February 12, 2024, the I-G received a petition bordering on stealing and breach of trust which preliminary investigation revealed to be money laundering.
Ohio averred that the head of the team was assigned to investigate the complaint to determine the allegations contained in the petition and investigations were initiated in that respect.
“That the complainant alleged that he needs a (SPV) Special Purpose Vehicle company to enable him secure the contract with Nigeria Navy which led him to enter a joint venture agreement with the defendant who has the company name Indetix Limited.
“That the petitioner was offered contract to supply ICT Equipment and Accessories, supply 10 wooden canoes and outboard engines, supply of 13x115HP Yamaha 4-stroke long shaft outboard engines, supply and installation of inverter batteries and supply of outboard engines and firefighting equipment.
“That the Nigeria Navy offered the petitioner the contract and both parties open a joint account with Zenith Bank where they made themselves the two signatories to the account.
“That both parties concerned drafted memorandum of understanding and a clause spelt the sum of 15% of the profit to be paid to the defendant and parties append their signatures.
“The Nigeria Navy disbursed the contract sum in installment to be used in execution of the contract.
“That the petitioner received a letter from the complainant that he is not comfortable with the first agreement signed by both parties for 15% of the profit rather a 7.5% of the total sum of the contract to his own share of the contract.
“That the petitioner disagreed with the proposal and the new terms intended to be smuggled into parties’ earlier agreement.
“That the refusal of the petitioner does not go well with the suspect as a result of which the suspect sent a purported company resolution to the bank and removed the petitioner as a signatory to the joint account, which makes him the sole signatory.
“That his act was motivated in furtherance of his clandestine motives to steal from the joint account, and he did steal money under the guise of purchase of the board engine.
“That the suspect further transferred the contract sum paid into the joint account to various accounts in order to disguise the origin of his illegal activities,” the officer said.
Ohio said the purported money disbursed for the purchase of the engine board was later transferred back to the suspect’s account different from the joint account.
According to the detective, this is done to promote money laundering and conceal his illegal activities.
The officer said the intelligence report gathered so far revealed that the suspects were making effort to transfer or withdraw money from the accounts and that unless the court grants the order, the investigation will be jeopardized.
