August 7, 2007
2007/8/8
Counsel representing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Rotimi Jacobs this morning told a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that The Sun newspapers is now the property of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Jacob made this disclosure while responding to an application filed by The Sun newspapers urging the court to defreeze its three accounts in Zenith Bank.
The EFCC had last month obtained a court order freezing the bank accounts of former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, including that those of his companies, Slok Airline and The Sun newspapers.
The newspapers had approached the court to seek for a variation in an order earlier granted by the court which froze all known accounts belonging to Kalu, including the three accounts operated by The Sun newspapers in Zenith Bank, Lagos.
Chief Chris Uche (SAN), counsel to The Sun newspapers informed the court that the accounts in question were those through which the newspapers procure printing materials and newsprint used in production, as well as payment of staff salary.
He told the court that if the accounts remained frozen, The Sun newspapers would collapse and die.
The lawyer further volunteered to make an undertaking to the effect that the properties of The Sun newspapers would not be disposed of in any way, pending the determination of the former governor’s case.
Rotimi Jacobs, while advising the newspapers’ counsel against moving the application, informed the court that the newspapers now belonged to the Federal Government in view of a subsisting order of the court which okayed the freezing of Orji Uzor’s account, including Slok Nigeria Limited and The Sun publications.
He stated that he had no instruction from his boss, Nuhu Ribadu, to oppose the application but that if it is moved, he would have no choice than to oppose it. He urged the court to grant both parties time to dialogue over the matter.
The presiding judge, Justice Anwuruchikere, took the EFCC’s hint and adjourned the matter till 21 August 2007 to allow parties time to dialogue over the matter.
Counsel representing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Rotimi Jacobs this morning told a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that The Sun newspapers is now the property of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Jacob made this disclosure while responding to an application filed by The Sun newspapers urging the court to defreeze its three accounts in Zenith Bank.
The EFCC had last month obtained a court order freezing the bank accounts of former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, including that those of his companies, Slok Airline and The Sun newspapers.
The newspapers had approached the court to seek for a variation in an order earlier granted by the court which froze all known accounts belonging to Kalu, including the three accounts operated by The Sun newspapers in Zenith Bank, Lagos.
Chief Chris Uche (SAN), counsel to The Sun newspapers informed the court that the accounts in question were those through which the newspapers procure printing materials and newsprint used in production, as well as payment of staff salary.
He told the court that if the accounts remained frozen, The Sun newspapers would collapse and die.
The lawyer further volunteered to make an undertaking to the effect that the properties of The Sun newspapers would not be disposed of in any way, pending the determination of the former governor’s case.
Rotimi Jacobs, while advising the newspapers’ counsel against moving the application, informed the court that the newspapers now belonged to the Federal Government in view of a subsisting order of the court which okayed the freezing of Orji Uzor’s account, including Slok Nigeria Limited and The Sun publications.
He stated that he had no instruction from his boss, Nuhu Ribadu, to oppose the application but that if it is moved, he would have no choice than to oppose it. He urged the court to grant both parties time to dialogue over the matter.
The presiding judge, Justice Anwuruchikere, took the EFCC’s hint and adjourned the matter till 21 August 2007 to allow parties time to dialogue over the matter.
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