Court summons EFCC, two banks for freezing Benue bank accounts

The Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi has summoned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and two commercial banks to appear before it over the recent alleged freezing of the state government accounts.
The EFCC had on August, 7, 2018, allegedly ordered the freezing of Benue State Government’s accounts in two banks, an action that government claimed adversely affected the running of its activities.
In a writ of summons issued Thursday by the court, the EFCC and the two banks were asked to within 30 days explain why they carried out the said action.
The Government of Benue State, through the office of Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice had approached the court seeking a declaration that the EFCC acted against the law when it directed the banks to freeze its accounts.
The government also demanding a declaration of the court that “by freezing the said accounts, EFCC denied the government the right to operate and transact on the affected accounts.”
The state government in the suit sought the verdict of the court, among others, to the effect that “a state government’s account maintained with any bank or financial institution in Nigeria does not fall within the class of bank accounts liable to be frozen by EFCC.
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the EFCC or its agents from freezing the accounts held any other bank.”
The State Government also demanded N30billion from the defendants as damages suffered during the periods the accounts were frozen.
Hearing in the case has been slated for October 8, 2018