By NewsBits
The Federal High Court Lagos Division on Tuesday fixed April 20, 2023, to rule on an application seeking to vacate an interim order, freezing 14 properties linked to Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello. The embattled governor is facing accusations from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over graft.
Justice Nicholas Oweibo fixed the date on Tuesday after taking submissions from the governor’s counsel, Abdulwahab Mohammed (SAN), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).
The court had on February 22, made an interim forfeiture order following an ex parte motion to confiscate 14 properties and firms in Lagos, Abuja, and the United Arab Emirates as well as N400million, recovered from one Aminu Falala.
When the matter came up on Tuesday, counsel for the Kogi governor, Mohammed, moved his application praying that the interim order be vacated. Mohammed, while moving the application, stated that about the third quarter of 2021, the EFCC approached the court to freeze Kogi State’s account in Sterling Bank with N20billion salary bailout loan allegedly hidden in it.
He said when the Kogi State government called Sterling Bank, the bank denied that such account existed, and that they challenged the freezing order made by Justice Tijjani Ringim. Mohammed said instead of apologising, the EFCC issued a press release, saying that the money had been returned to the Central Bank of Nigeria.
