By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has granted an order placing a “Post No Debit” (PND) on the accounts of seven businessmen and four firms domiciled in Access Bank and seven other banks, pending investigation of how N1.4 billion was fraudulently transferred from a Lebanese firm.
The trial judge, Justice Akintayo Aluko granted the order on August 20, upon a motion ex-parte moved and argued by the Department of State Security (DSS), through its counsel Michael Bajela.
“Post No Debit” is a restriction imposed on banks by court on specific accounts, preventing customers from making withdrawals, transfers, or any other debits from their accounts.
The order subsists for 90 days.
The complainant in the suit is Fouani Nigeria Limited while the respondents affected by the order and their bank details are: Haruna Adam Abubakar – 1709985717 – Access Bank, Anthony Godwill Ifeanyi – 1236732473 – Access Bank, Tochukwu Modestus Obodoefuna -1565420706 – Access Bank, M. Munzali Dara Worldwide Business 5601060742 – Fidelily Bank, Anthony Ifeanyi Electronic Trading 5420158002 – Keystone Bank, Kholobekian Joseph Mesrob 1016886802 – UBA, Izuchukwu Stanley Alaman Jo 2137303667 – UBA, A.S. Rano Lubricant Toll Inv. Ltd 1305567771 – Providus Bank, Obioma Emeka Daniel 1005922923 – FCMB, Esto World Mega Venture Resources 2004467010 -Globus Bank and Mubarak Buhari 8066868814 – Opay.
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The court thereafter adjourned further proceedings till November 22, for the report of compliance.
In applying for the order, Mr. Bajela supported his application with an affidavit sworn to by a DSS operative, Joshua Babalola.
In the affidavit, Babalola averred that the Applicant (DSS) received a petition from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS) with the heading “Request for investigation into unauthorized fund transfers on Fouani Nigeria Limited Account.”
The petition was dated 1st day of August, 2024, and signed by the Chief Audit Executive Richard Bello and the Chief Information Security Officer Olusola Odediran
The petitioner claimed that the sum of N1,426,100,430.00 was fraudulently transferred by the respondents from Fouani Nigeria Limited account number 0690342734 Access Bank, 0004018789 GTBank, and others.
“The petitioners therefore plead with the Applicant to investigate the matter and also stop the respondents from removing the money from their various Bank accounts mentioned in the face of our motion paper,” Babalola averred.
