CBN freezes Belfour Energy, Belfour Oil, 9 other bank accounts

On Wednesday, the Central Bank of Nigeria revealed it has an order from the Federal High Court, Abuja division, to freeze 11 bank accounts to enable it conduct investigations into suspicious activities.

This was disclosed in two documents posted on its website on Wednesday.

The CBN as the plaintiff, listed the names of the defendants/respondents as Albert Austin Ugochukwu with two bank accounts; Belfour Energy & Allied Services; Belfour Oil and Gas Limited with three bank accounts; Circle Flow Integrated Services; Kacynaus Reality Nigeria Limited with three bank accounts; and Tasmara Integrated Services.

The motion exparte which was dated March 12 and filled on March 16 sought the mandatory order of the court to direct First City Monument Bank Limited to freeze all transactions on accounts and all other bank accounts of the defendants for a period of 180 days pending the outcome of investigation and inquiry currently being conducted by the CBN.

According to the document, the investigation was connected to a female who is an ‘Assistant Manager of the CBN, Central Business District, Oluwatoyosi Suwebat Oladipo’.

In another document signed by the Presiding Judge, A.R. Mohammed, the court empowered the CBN to direct FCMB to freeze all transactions on the bank accounts for a period of 45 days only, pending the outcome of investigation.

It added that the order was renewable on expiration but only on good reasons shown. Any person affected by this order was entitled to approach the country to seek to set aside, discharge or have the order reviewed for good reasons, it said.