Court freezes Lagos Speaker’s accounts over alleged fraud

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the interim freezing of  three bank accounts belonging to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa.

The three accounts domiciled in Standard Chartered Bank and the funds placed in them are to be temporarily frozen pending the conclusion of the investigation and possible prosecution of the allegations of fraud made against the Speaker.

Justice Nicholas Oweibo on Thursday made the order pursuant to a motion ex-parte filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC which is investigating the Speaker for offenses of conspiracy, diversion of funds, abuse of office and money laundering.

According to the  EFCC,  it filed the matter “Pursuant to section 44 (2) (K) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and section 26, 29, and 34 (1) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004.

After reading the affidavit evidence made by an EFCC investigator, Muhammed Abubakar, and listening to the submissions of the EFCC Counsel Ibrahim Suleiman, the court granted the order on September 15, 2020.

Meanwhile, the Speaker is said to have honored the EFCC’s investigation yesterday  to answer questions on the allegations made against him.