EFCC Freezes N9.9bn Bank Accounts Linked To Ambode

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has frozen three bank accounts containing a total of N9.9billion linked to the immediate past Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode.
It would be recalled that in June, loyalists of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) leader, Bola Tinubu, had decided to drag Ambode to the EFCC for investigation.
The EFCC, in a press statement yesterday by its spokesman, Tony Orilade, titled, ‘EFCC Secures Freezing Order on Accounts Linked to Ex-Gov. Ambode over Alleged N9.9billion Fraud’, said Justice Chuka Obiozor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, yesterday, ordered the freezing of the sum of N9.9billion belonging to the Lagos State Government.
The funds are domiciled variously in First City Monument Bank account number 5617984012; Access Bank account number 0060949275; and Zenith Bank account number 1011691254, respectively.
Justice Chuka Obiozor gave the order, following an ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The EFCC had prayed the court to freeze the accounts pending the conclusion of investigations and possible prosecution of the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Chief of Staff to former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Adewale Adesanya.
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.