Accountant asks court to lift freezing order

A chartered accountant, Ayinuola Omafume, has asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to lift the police freezing order on her bank account following allegations of fraud.

Omafume and her mother, Lydia Abosede Erhievuyere, are on trial in court for allegedly stealing the sum of N1.5 billion belonging to Mr. Peter Ololo’s company.

They have pleaded not guilty to the charge.

While filing the application, the defendants' counsel, Olubusola Ashiru, urged the court to remove the lien placed on the defendants' accounts and release the properties illegally confiscated from the defendants by the police and the nominal plaintiff, Peter Ololo, l alter ego of the Group of Companies.

Ashiru also asked the court for an order directing the prosecutor to return all property of the defendants and to direct that the property confiscated from the defendants by the nominal complainant, Peter Ololo, “the former lover”, be returned.

Ashiru said while the matter was pending before Justice Ogundare, the prosecutor went to another court to obtain a freezing order and placed liens on the defendants' properties.

However, the prosecutor, in his 19-paragraph counter-affidavit filed in opposition to the defendant's motion, urged the court to deny the motion.

Morufu Animasahun, while filing the counter-affidavit, urged the court to dismiss the application and ordered an expedited hearing.

He said the essence of the freezing order obtained by the prosecution from the court of Justice Ibrahim Ahmad Kala is to preserve the Res, as there are persistent intelligence reports that the accused, through the intermediary of third parties, strive to dissipate the assets purchased with the alleged profits of crime.