Court Gives EFCC Nod to Freeze N136m Linked to Army General, Otiki

The Federal High Court, Abuja yesterday gave the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) the go-ahead to temporarily freeze the sum of $376, 120 (N136, 155, 440) linked to Maj. Gen. Hakeem Oladapo Otiki.

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu gave the order in an ex-parte motion with suit number: FHC/ABJ/ CS/1380/20 brought by counsel to the anti-graft agency, Mr. Ekele Iheanacho, in Abuja.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Otiki, who is currently standing trial at the Army Court Marshall, was said to have detailed some soldiers, sometimes in 2019, to provide VIP escort from Sokoto to Kaduna states for one Alhaji Ado Aliyu, alongside the sum of N400 million, but the soldiers fled and escaped with the money.

In an affidavit in support of the ex-parte motion, deposed to by Alvan Gurumnaan, an Investigating Officer with the Counter Terrorism Financing and General Investigation (CTGI) Unit of the EFCC, the personnel said by virtue of his position as officer assigned to investigate the intelligence received, he was familiar with the facts of the matter.

“That upon receipt of the intelligence mentioned in paragraph 1, my team carried out several investigation activities which include: making inquiries from the office of the Chief of Army Staff, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), commercial banks, Corporate Affairs Commission, Code of Conduct Bureau, Salaries and Wages Commission.

“We also interview witnesses and suspects with a view to unravel the fraud, tracing the movements of funds suspected to be proceeds of illegal activities, source of the funds, the beneficiaries, among others. The investigation so far reveals the following:

“That Maj.Gen. Otiki was a serving military officer and the immediate-past General Officer Commanding (GOC) Division of the Nigerian Army, Sokoto. He was the chief accounting officer of the division.

“That one Alhaji Ado, together with his son, Adamu Aliyu, is into the business of Bureau De Change (BDC). They are business associates of Otiki as they assisted him (Otiki) in operating his BDC business known as Karama BDC.

“That Otiki while still in public service acquired Karama BDC Nigeria Limited in 2014. Out of the company’s 35, 000, 000 share capital, he had 22, 000, 000 shares.