Court orders two soldiers and their three firms to forfeit N200m to FG

A Lagos Federal High Court has ordered that the sum of N200 million, kept in some commercial banks by two military officers and their three companies,  be forfeited to the federal government of Nigeria, pending the outcome of the investigation on same.

The two military officers identified as Adamu Bello Argungu and John Onimisi Ozigi, according to EFCC, fraudulently withdrew the money from the Defence Headquarters over-head expenses accounts. They used the money to fund their companies namely Falsal & Co Global Services Nigeria Limited; Diamond Head Ventures & Development Company Limited; and Sweetex Bureau De Change Limited.

Justice Sule Hassan, who presided over the matter, gave the verdict after listening to the submissions of Mr. Nkereuwem Mark Anana, the EFCC lawyer, who moved an exparte application for the order.

The EFCC in an affidavit deposed to by one of its operative, Clever Ibrahim, averred that the two military officers, Adamu Bello Argungu and John Onimisi Ozigi are of the Nigerian Army and Air Force respectively, who made several unauthorized withdrawals from the Defence Headquarters Overhead Expenses Account.

The deponent also stated that the money was deposited not in their salary accounts, nor the accounts belonging to the Defence headquarters, but in corporate accounts and other accounts belonging to their companies.

According to him, the accounts where the said money are domiciled are Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) account number 0142893798; 0229980366; 0023038546; 0023038553; 00223038539; 0052260716 and 0023673121, belonging to Adamu Bello Argungu and Falsal & Co Gloval Services Limited. While Skye Bank Plc with account numbers: 1060118510 and 4010007344 belongs to John Onimisi Ozigi and his company, Diamond Head Ventures & Development Limited.

He added that parts of money were kept in First City Monument Bank (FCMB) account numbers 3584478019 and 3584478026 belonging to Sweetex Bureau De Change Limited and Zenith Bank Plc, account with 1010260044, 1010399694 and 1000468142 belonging to Diamond Head Ventures.

He further said that John Onimisi Ozigi and his company, Diamond Head Ventures & Development Company Limited and kept parts of their money in Skye Bank Plc’s account numbers: 1060118510 and 4010007344 respectively.

He stated that though, a post-no-debit have been placed on the accounts by the provision of section 6(5) of the Money Laundering and Prohibition Act, 2011, which had lapsed after 72 hours, and that the order of the interim forfeiture was sought to debar the respondents from tampering with the money.