Court freezes businessman’s accounts for alleged $158, 000 fraud

A Lagos Federal High Court, has granted an order freezing the accounts of a Lagos-based businessman, Mr. Ayeni Oluwafemi Oluwale and his company, Femglare International Limited over alleged US$158,000 alleged fraud. 

This followed an ex-parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and argued by one of its counsel, Mr George Chia –Yakua before Justice Muslim Hassan.

The businessman’s accounts are domiciled in Access Bank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc, Heritage Bank Plc, Skye Bank Plc and Zenith Bank Plc.

The EFCC in the ex-parte application had sought for an order of the court to empower the Commission to order the management of Access Bank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc, Heritage Bank Plc, Skye Bank Plc, and Zenith Bank Plc to freeze the accounts of the two defendants in their Banks pending the conclusion of investigation and possible prosecution of the defendants.

Owobo Tosin, an investigation officer with the Commission in a 15-paragraph affidavit averred that EFCC is currently investigating a case of suspicious transaction received through intelligence report against the defendants wherein the defendants received $158,000 from a South African company.

The Commission said that after a thorough investigation of the complaint, it was revealed that the businessman and his company, who are based in Nigeria, had being in business partnership with the South African company for many years and in 2016, received from TW Logistics, a company based in Cape Town, South Africa some Apples worth $158,000 but has refused to pay the said sum. 

It was further stated that all efforts to reach the defendants have been rebuffed as the 1st defendant, Olawale, who has persistently refused to respond to e-mails or calls through his given telephone numbers.  

The deponent added that investigation has revealed that Olawale has dissipated substantial part of the alleged sum and there is urgent need to freeze the accounts pending conclusion of investigation and possible prosecution.  

He also added that the freezing order of the court is required to preserve the res pending conclusion of investigation as the accounts are warehousing proceeds of crime.

After listening to submission by Chia-Yakua, Justice Hassan said: “I have listened carefully to the submission of the applicant’s counsel and gone through the summons with the affidavit of urgency, affidavit in support, written addresses and the exhibit attached.