Businessman Sues EFCC, Others Over 13 Frozen Bank Accounts

A 54-year-old man, last Monday, sued the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) over an alleged unlawful freezing of his 13 bank accounts.
Managing Director, Soka Comfortainment Limited, Mr Nze Chukwumezie, who is from Anambra State, also sued the United Bank for Africa (UBA), First Bank of Nigeria (FBN), ECOBANK, Diamond Bank, Union Bank, Zenith Bank and Sterling Bank as 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th respondents.
The Tide reports that while EFCC is the 1st respondent, NCAC is the 9th respondent.
Twelve of the bank accounts have his name as account name while the Sterling Bank account 0003242109 has the name of his company as the account name.
The case was first instituted in June before Justice I. L. Ojukwu of Court 8.
Chukwumezie, through his Counsel, Jideofor Ukachukwu, in a motion with file number: FHC/ABJ/CS/499/2019, sought a declaration that his detention by the 1st respondent on January 30, 2018 was unlawful and a breach of his fundamental right to personal liberty and freedom of movement “as guaranteed under Sections 35 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”
“A declaration that the detention of the applicant by the 6th respondent on September 17, 2018 is unlawful/wrongful, same being a breach/violation of his Fundamental Right to Personal Liberty and Freedom of Movement as guaranteed under Sections 35 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
“A declaration that freezing and/or placing any form of restriction on the various bank accounts of the applicant by the 2nd to 8th respondents on the instructions of the 1st respondent without an order of a court of competent jurisdiction is unconstitutional, arbitrary, illegal, unlawful and a violation of the applicant’s Fundamental Right to own immovable property as guaranteed under Section 44 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended),” he said.
The lawyer also urged Justice Maha to give an order, directing the 1st respondent to pay the sum of N10 million to “the applicant as damages/compensation against his illegal detention on January 30 to January 31, 2018.
“An Order of court directing the 6’” respondent to pay the sum of N5 million to the applicant as damages/compensation against his illegal detention on September 17, 2018.
“An Order of Court mandating the 1st respondent to pay the sum of N20 million to the applicant for issuing an illegal directive to the 2nd to 8th respondents to freeze and/or place restriction on the applicant’ s bank accounts.