HOMADIL VS EFCC: HOW A FROZEN BANK ACCOUNT TURNED INTO A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS CASE

A dispute that began with the restriction of a corporate bank account has evolved into a significant fundamental-rights case at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.

Homadil Realty Limited instituted proceedings after it was allegedly prevented from operating its Zenith Bank account.

The company told the court that the account had previously held more than ₦1 billion and that the restriction severely affected its real-estate operations.

The EFCC countered that the restriction was necessary because of an investigation into allegations involving financial fraud, property transactions and alleged forgery of title documents.

The Commission said it received a petition and carried out investigations before requesting restrictions on the account.

It also informed the court that a Federal High Court order was subsequently obtained in connection with the account.

The fundamental issue before Justice M. A. Hassan was whether the applicant's constitutional rights had been violated.

The court considered the arguments of the applicant, Zenith Bank and the EFCC before delivering judgment on April 23, 2026.

The supplied judgment summary records a victory for Homadil Realty, with ₦2 million awarded against the EFCC and another ₦2 million against Zenith Bank.

The case illustrates how a financial investigation can become a constitutional dispute when restrictions on property and bank funds are challenged before the courts.