EFCC freezes ex-militant's N3bn bank account

 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has frozen a bank account allegedly belonging to a wanted ex-militant, Government Ekemupolo aka Tompolo.

In a report by Punch Newspapers, the anti-graft agency froze the ex-militant's bank account after discovering N3bn in the account.

The action, it was reported, was taken on Tuesday, June 14, 2016 pending the outcome of court cases against the ex-militant, who is currently on the run.

An operative of the anti-graft agency told Punch that during investigations into the fraud at NIMASA (Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency), about N3bn was traced to a bank account which is owned by Tompolo.

“The account has since been frozen in accordance with Section 34 (1) of the EFCC Act 2004 which empowers the commission to freeze any account suspected of being used for financial crimes,” the source disclosed.

The action of the EFCC, according to the report, is backed by the section which stipulates that the chairman of the commission or any officer authorised by him might, if satisfied that the money in the account of a person was made through the commission of an offence under the Act or any enactment specified under Section 6(2) (a)-(f) of the Act, apply for the court exparte for power to issue or instruct a bank examiner or such other appropriate authority to freeze the account.

Tompolo, who has been on the run since February, was arraigned in absentia alongside a former Director-General of NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi, and the latter’s six brothers on April 18, 2016, for an alleged N47.7bn fraud.

The anti-graft agency had arraigned the suspects before a Federal High Court in Lagos on 22 counts bordering on fraud, conversion of money and forgery.