Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Tuesday, adjourned till October 15, 2021 hearing of all applications in respect of the Kogi State N20bn salary bail-out account domiciled in Sterling Bank Plc.
The adjournment was sequel to the application made by counsel to Kogi State government, Sam Erogbo (SAN), who told the court that he needed time to study the counter affidavit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to the processes.
On August 31, 2021, Tijani Ringim, a Lagos high court judge, had frozen the Kogi state account domiciled in Sterling Bank Plc, following an ex parte application brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), pending the conclusion of the investigation or possible prosecution.
EFCC, in a 13-paragraph affidavit in support of the motion, said it received credible and direct intelligence which led to the tracing of funds suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities deposited in account No. 0073572696 domiciled in Sterling Bank Plc, with the name ‘Kogi State Salary Bailout Account’.
At the resumed hearing of the matter on Tuesday, the counsel to Kogi State government, Erogbo told the court that his client has filed process against the interim order granted by Justice Ringim and that the EFCC has equally filed counter to the processes.
Erogbo told the court that he needed time to respond to the EFCC’s counter. Consequently, he asked the court for a short date.
Counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, admitted being served with the processes and that he has equally filed counter to such.
Following the adjournment request of the Kogi State counsel, Justice Aneke, adjourned the matter till October 15, for a hearing of all applications.
