Human rights lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), has asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to vacate the order freezing his firm’s account.
Justice Abdulazeez Anka, on February 7, ordered a temporary forfeiture of N75million found in Ozekhome’s Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) account.
The order followed an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which prayed the court to freeze the account temporarily on the ground that the N75 million was suspected to be proceed of crime.
Ozekhome is praying for an order discharging and/or vacating forthwith, the interim ex-parte order of forfeiture to freeze or attach the money for 120 days.
The lawyer said EFCC did not disclose to Justice Anka the fact that Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti had defrozen Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose’s account, thereby allowing the governor to operate it, before he transferred N75 million to his (Ozekhome) chambers’ account.
He said at the time Fayose transferred N75million to his chambers account, there was no court processes filed or served on the applicant, indicating that the EFCC was on appeal, or asking the court to stay the execution of the order defreezing the governor’s account.
“The applicant did not state that the order of court was served on Zenith Bank and that the money was transferred with the full co-operation of the bank who was the 2nd defendant at all material times,” he said.
THE NATION
