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Justice vacates freeze order on Ozekhome account, though he agrees N75m was from Fayose

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8 years ago

April 5, 2017

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Justice Abulazeez Anka of a Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday lifted the freeze order on the account of Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

The justice said he agreed with the suspicion of EFCC that got the order following what the agency claimed to be a transaction between the lawyer and Ekiti Gov. Ayo Fayose. The governor is complicit in the $2,1 billion arms purchase scandal rocking former President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

ALSO SEE: Court freezes Ozekhome’s N75m with GTB

“His [EFCC’S lawyer Rotimi Oyedepo] evidence was not controverted that the said proceeds were unencumbered as at the time they were transferred into the account of Mike Ozekhome Chambers, as rightly argued by Chief Mike Ozekhome,” he saod

But Anka noted there was no freeze order on Fayose’s account when Ozekhome got the money.

The justice on February 7 had ordered a temporary forfeiture of N75 million found in Mr. Ozekhome’s Guarantee Trust Bank account.

And Ozekhome had filed an application, seeking an order, discharging forthwith, the interim orders made ex parte, which ordered a temporary attachment of his money for 120 days.

ALSO SEE: Lawyer Ozekhome creams off N75m in legal fee from gov

He also sought an order restraining the EFCC, whether by themselves or their privies, from dealing in anyway and manner as to the operation or the proprietary rights of the ownership of the account.

In his Monday ruling, Anka vacated the interim freeze order, and dismissed the opposing counter-affidavit of the EFCC.