Federal High Court in Abuja has granted EFCC Interim Order to Freeze 1,146 Bank Accounts belonging to individuals and companies under investigation for alleged offences bordering on unauthorised dealing in foreign exchange, money laundering and financing terrorism.
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja gave the order that the accounts remain frozen pending the conclusion of the investigation.
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In response to the motion filed by EFCC counsel Ekele Iheanacho, Justice Nwite stated, “An order of this honorable court is hereby made freezing the bank accounts stated in the schedule below, which accounts are owned by various individuals who are currently being investigated in a case involving the offences of unauthorized dealing in foreign exchange, money laundering, and terrorism financing for a period of 90 (ninety) days.”
The judge noted that preliminary investigations revealed that the bank accounts were associated with individuals exploiting virtual cryptocurrency exchange platforms to manipulate the value of the naira and launder proceeds of unlawful activities.
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Justice Nwite emphasized the importance of preserving the funds in the identified bank accounts during the investigation and possible prosecution.
Companies affected by the freezing order include entities engaged in agro-businesses, logistics and haulage, microfinance banks, engineering, among others.
Grassroots Parrot gathered that the matter has been adjourned to July 23, 2024, for mention.