Justice Abdulaziz Anka of the Federal High Court Lagos has ordered Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, to temporarily forfeit the sum of N75 million in his Guaranty Trust Bank account to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Justice Anka gave the ruling on Tuesday following an ex-parte application by the EFCC, claiming that the money was suspected to be proceeds of crime.

Counsel to the EFCC, Idris Mohammed, told the court that the application was brought to court in keeping with Section 29 of the EFCC Act.

Mohammed also attached three exhibits to the application, marked 01, 02 and 03, as well as an affidavit of urgency sworn to by Tosin Owobo, an investigator with the EFCC.

He urged the Justice Anka to grant the forfeiture order pending the conclusion of investigations by the anti-graft agency.

In his ruling the trial judge said Ozekhome would forfeit the N75 million found in his account for 120 days pending investigations by the EFCC.

The judge however added that any party not satisfied with the ruling had the right to appeal it.

Ozekhome is Lawyer to the Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, whose accounts were also frozen by the EFCC for alleged money laundering.

A court later ordered the EFCC to unfreeze the Governor’s accounts as he is protected by the immunity clause in the Nigerian Constitution which stipulates that a sitting governor may not be prosecuted for criminal offences until after his tenure has expired.