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The Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, on tuesday, 26th January, sealed
off 17 more properties linked to the
former Managing Director of
Oceanic Bank
Plc, Mrs Cecilia Ibru in Abuja
and Lagos .
The exercise which began on Monday
followed a freezing order issued by a
Federal High Court in Lagos on all
assets and properties linked to the
former bank chief. The EFCC had applied
for a mareva injunction against all the
assets of Mrs Ibru who is facing trial
on a 25 count charge of money laundering
and granting of unsecured loans running
into billions of naira among others.
When the exercise resumed in Abuja and
Lagos on Tuesday, a total of 12
properties were sealed in the Federal
Capital City and five in Lagos. Those
sealed in the FCT were located on
Zakari Maimalari Street
, Central Area, as well as Zone 3, 14th
and 27th street, Games
Village.
In Lagos, operatives sealed off two
houses on
Sobo Arobiodu street,
Ikeja GRA, a plaza opposite lagos state
government secretariat, Alausa while one
was locked in Dolphin estate, Ikoyi and
another in Marina, lagos island.
In a related development, the anti-graft
agency has filed an amended 25 count
charge against Mrs Ibru . The fresh
charges have to do with the grant of
N170 billion and $51 million unsecured
loans to companies linked to her.
When her matter came up before Justice
Dan Abutu of the Federal High Court
Lagos on Tuesday, the ex-bank chief was
absent as her lawyer told the court she
was ill.
The lead defence counsel
,Professor Taiwo Osipitan SAN,
apologized to the court for the absence
of the accused. He told the court that
the accused was suffering from a heart
related problem.The lawyer further told
the court that his client was on
admission in an undisclosed hospital in
Lagos since January 24.
The trial judge has
however adjourned further hearing in the
matter till February 10.
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