The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) on
Tuesday moved swiftly to enforce the order of the Federal High Court in Lagos
which granted the application to restrain NICON Investment Limited, Global
Fleet Oil and Gas Limited and their owners, Jimoh Ibrahim, from dealing with
any assets or funds belonging to them.
Following the court order, the AMCON debt recovery team on
Tuesday immediately swung into action and took over Mr. Ibrahim’s assets in
both Abuja and Lagos.
NICON Investment Limited, Global Fleet Oil & Gas Limited
and Mr. Ibrahim owed AMCON over N50 billion, which have been subjects of
protracted litigation and negotiations.
Justice Saliu Saidu granted the order on the application by
counsel to AMCON, Yusuf Ali, a senior advocate of Nigeria, seeking to restrain
Mr. Ibrahim and the management of the two companies from dealing with any
assets or funds of the company.
Justice Saidu also ordered the immediate freezing of all
their bank accounts, including NICON Investment Limited, Global Fleet Oil &
Gas Limited and Mr. Ibrahim’s assets in Abuja, Lagos, Dubai and London until
the matter was finally determined.
The freezing order also affected all bank accounts held
and/or maintained by Mr. Ibrahim and the companies in First Bank Plc, Guaranty
Trust Bank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc, United Bank of Africa Plc, Access Bank Plc,
Citibank Nigeria Limited and Sterling Bank Plc.
Other affected banks included Ecobank Nigeria Plc, Fidelity
Bank Plc, First City Monument Bank Plc, Heritage Bank Limited, Keystone Bank
Limited, Skye Bank Plc, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Sterling Bank Plc, Zenith Bank
Plc, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc and Unity Bank Plc.
All bank accounts which has Mr. Ibrahim as a signatory,
either alone or with any other person in NICON Investment Limited, Global Fleet
Oil & Gas Limited in any of the banks and financial institutions on the
list were also ordered frozen by the court.
The court order equally directed AMCON to take over Jimoh
Ibrahim’s Nigeria Re-Insurance Company Plc, NICON Insurance Company Plc,
Nigeria Stockbrokers Limited (NSL) and NICON Trustees Limited.
In a swift reaction, Jimoh Ibrahim reacted that, "My attention has been directed to lies
being spread around by an institution called AMCON over an interim order of
injunction she had lied to collect before an innocent Federal High Court in
Lagos. AMCON is aware that we keep a deposit of Eighty-Six billion Naira or 172
million pounds with Union Bank and AMCON is aware that application to collect
the money from Union Bank is pending before an Ikeja High Court. All of these facts,
it has not disclosed to an innocent Federal High Court. AMCON deceived
Nigerians to believe that they got judgement against me when there was nothing
like that. An interim order of any court last for 14 days.
AMCON is executing the interim order even when the Judge has
not signed the execution writ. We have since filed an application to discharge
the interim order. I'm not in the category of people that AMCON or anybody can
intimidate. It is laughable and a wide ambition to say anyone in Nigeria can
seize my property! What a day dream!! We shall abide with the law and any
interim order of court even when they are made in error as we are not far away
from justice."
No comments:
Post a Comment