The SAN, therefore, urged Justice Oweibo to reverse the freezing orders and returne the houses and money to Governor Bello.
By Jeffrey Agbo
A Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed April 20 for ruling on an application seeking to vacate an interim order freezing 14 houses linked to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi.
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 houses affected are in Lagos, Abuja, and the United Arab Emirates while N400m was recovered from one Aminu Falala.
The court had on February 22 made an interim forfeiture order following an ex parte motion to confiscate the property and money.
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 N20bn 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.
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Mohammed said instead of apologising, the EFCC issued a press release, saying that the money had been returned to the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The SAN said following that incident, the Kogi State Government approached a state High Court, which then restrained the EFCC from going after the state until the determination of the substantive suit.
Mohammed said the order of the Kogi State High Court restraining EFCC from taking any step against the state government was still subsisting.
He said that the EFCC, in flagrant disregard of the said order of the Kogi State High Court and a pending appeal, arrested one Ali Bello, who is an associate of the Kogi State Governor on November 29, 2022.
Mohammed said the EFCC coerced him to oblige them information pertaining to most of the property listed in the order of the court made on February 22, 2023.
He, therefore, urged Justice Oweibo to reverse the freezing orders and returne the houses and money to Governor Bello.
