Court Orders NDLEA to Reopens Suspect N58M Account

                               

Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the reopening of a bank account frozen by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, which contains N58.500m suspected to be drug proceeds.
The NDLEA, in a statement on Saturday, said it froze the account with the consent of the Attorney General of the Federation through the Solicitor General in accordance with the NDLEA Act.

The anti-narcotic agency had charged a suspected drug baron, Mr. Chukwunwendu Sylvester Ikejiakwu, aka ‘Blessed of Ozubulu’ of Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State to court on a 13-count charge bothering on alleged manufacturing and production of methamphetamine as well as exportation of narcotic drugs, forming and operating a drug trafficking organisation, among others.
The NDLEA had frozen the suspect’s bank accounts and also secured interim forfeiture on his traced assets.
In his ruling on a fundamental right application against the NDLEA, Justice Yunusa ordered the reopening of the account on the ground that there was no AGF at the moment.
The Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, however, described the ruling as unacceptable and stated that the judgement will be appealed.

Giade said, “The ruling is unacceptable and we are going on appeal. NDLEA will continue to fight tenaciously in preventing suspected members of drug trafficking organisations from enjoying proceeds of narcotic trade.

“The true position is that narcotic investigations are incomplete until criminal wealth is traced and confiscated”.

The NDLEA boss added that the support of the judiciary and other stakeholders remained vital to a successful anti-money laundering campaign.

The statement further read, “While still in prison custody, Chukwunwendu to open a bank account in the name of the wife’s younger sister.

“They also connived in collecting five years rent on one of the buildings the agency had secured an interim forfeiture order on and lodged the money in the new bank account opened in the name of the younger sister to the wife.

“Three days after the account was opened, the sister applied to the bank, making the wife of Chukwunwendu a signatory to the account.

“NDLEA got wind of the secret move and promptly froze the account with the consent of the Attorney General through the Solicitor General.”

Punch