The Court of Appeal sitting in Ado-Ekiti yesterday upturned the judgement of the Federal High Court which unfroze Governor Ayo Fayose’s two accounts at Zenith Bank. The three-man panel led by Justice Joseph Ikyegh allowed the appeal fi led by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Fayose’s victory at the Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti. The panel held that the EFCC in its brief of appeal had convinced it that the accounts were used to keep funds suspected to be proceeds of crime.
It would recalled that on December 13, 2016, Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti had ordered the EFCC to immediately unfreeze the accounts of the governor, saying the action of the EFCC was against due process and that the anti-graft agency did not follow the laid down regulations in freezing the governor’s accounts. The court also said the alleged damning intelligent report by the EFCC, which it claimed to have received concerning money purportedly paid into Governor Fayose’s account by Senator Musiliu Obanikoro was not provided nor attached for the court to see.
However, at yesterday’s hearing at the Appeal Court, the EFCC in its brief argued that Fayose is a citizen of Nigeria and his accounts could be frozen if they are found to be used to hold proceeds of crime. The Appeal Court allowed the appeal and held that Fayose’s accounts which were unblocked by the Federal High Court be frozen. “In the final analysis, I find the appeal meritorious and having resolve all three issues agitated in the appeal in appellate favour, I allow the appeal and hereby set aside the judgement delivered by Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Ekiti Judicial Division on 13/12/2016 granting the claims of the 1st respondent in suit FHC/ AD/CS/27/2017.”
