Wole Tokede
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it has frozen over N126 billion in about 120 accounts belonging to some of the suspects being investigated. It said this is done so as not to jeopardize its investigations.
Some of those affected include about N126, 563,481,095.43 that was temporarily seized by the EFCC pending the conclusion of corruption related cases.
The Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement revealed that other cash and assets under interim forfeiture is $9,090,243,920.15 seized from suspects facing trial or under investigation.
He said that apart from freezing of N32.8 billion from six suspects implicated in the Police Pension Office, some high-profile suspects with accounts among over 120 frozen include that of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke; former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki; former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh; former Chiefs of Air Staff, Air Marshals Adesola Amosu; Mohammed Dikko Umar; Robert Azibaola and former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, among others.
The action of the EFCC has generated criticisms with most suspects claiming that the freezing of the affected accounts were prejudicial and vindictive, Uwujaren said that the agency was not being vindictive.
The statement said: “In recent times, a lot of interest has been generated by the action of the Commission in freezing the accounts of suspects that were investigated or are currently being investigated. Some commentators have tended to ascribe vindictive motives to this action
“In order to prevent misinformation, it is imperative to explain the reason behind the Commission’s actions in this regard.
“Freezing of accounts suspected of being used for commission of financial crimes is a mandatory investigative step backed by law”.
The agency stressed that Section 34 (1) of the EFCC Act 2004 empowers the Commission to freeze any account suspected of being used for financial crimes.
The section stipulates that, “the Chairman of the Commission or any officer authorized by him may, if satisfied that the money in the account of a person is made through the commission of an offence under this Act or any enactment specified under Section 6(2) (a)-(f) of this Act, apply to the court ex-parte for power to issue or instruct a bank examiner or such other appropriate authority to freeze the account.”
“Similar provision in the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2012 (as amended), also empowers the EFCC Chairman or his representatives to place a stop order on any account or transaction suspected to be involved in any crime”, the statement explained.
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