N9.9bn Fraud: EFCC reveals only N300m remains in Lagos accounts

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has disclosed that only N300 million remained in the three accounts of which court orders to be freezed on Tuesday operated by the Lagos State Government

Justice Chuka Obiozor of the Federal High Court, in Ikoyi, Lagos, had on Tuesday ordered the freezing of the sum of three accounts belonging to the Lagos State government over alleged N9.9 billion fraud.

The alleged fraud was committed under the administration of immediate past Governor of the State, Akinwunmi Ambode.

The funds are domiciled in First City Monument Bank, FCMB, account number 5617984012; Access Bank account number 0060949275 and Zenith Bank account number 1011691254, respectively.

However, the EFCC disclosed that only about N300 million were now left in the three accounts as N9.6 billion had been allegedly stolen.

In Tuesday’s ruling, Justice Obiozor order EFCC to do the needful following an ex-parte application filed by the anti-crime agency.

The EFCC had prayed the court to freeze the account pending the conclusion of investigation and possible prosecution of Adewale Adesanya, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Chief of Staff to former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

The applicant, EFCC, in an affidavit deposed to by Kungmi Daniel, an operative of the Commission, stated that there was “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 the immediate past governor of the state, Akinwunmi Ambode, and operated by Adesanya.

It was further stated that the schedule of the FCMB account showed how Adesanya and other signatories to the account made fraudulent transfer from the accounts of the Lagos State Government and dissipated the funds housed in the said accounts.

In his submission, counsel to the EFCC, Mohammed Abbas, said “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)”.

Abbas, therefore, prayed the court to grant an order to temporarily attach and take over the accounts to enable it 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,” he further told the court.

Consequently, Justice Obiozor granted the prayers of the counsel to the Commission.

The Judge adjourned further proceedings to September 9, 2019.