EndSARS: Protesters’ accounts remain frozen, against court order

Obinwannem News EndSARS: Protesters' accounts remain frozen, against court order

Nigerian activists who geared for an end to police brutality (#EndSARS) were met with a ‘brutal’ punishment of freezing their financial accounts; courtesy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which obtained permission from an Abuja Division of the Federal High Court.

The court had obliged the apex bank to “freeze” the protesters’ account for 90 days. The ‘ex parte’ order expired on February 2, 2021, from November 4, 2020; however, CBN has yet to unfreeze the bank accounts of the protesters.

The CBN had told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the funds in their accounts might have been linked to terrorist activities.

Following an application filed by the protesters, challenging the ‘freezing order’ of their accounts, the court ruled the ban should be lifted after ninety (90) days.

However, News confirmed from Premium Times on Saturday, noted one of the protesters named Bolatito Odualo, popularly known as ‘Rinu,’ on her Twitter handle, stated that the restrictions placed on her accounts and those of her colleagues are yet to be lifted.

Mr Femi Falana, lawyer representing the protesters, confirmed this. He said, with the expiration of the order, his legal team “will file a motion to set the order aside”.

Efforts to reach the CBN lawyer, Mr Micheal Aondoakaa, a former Attorney-General of the federation, to react on the issue, was not successful. More so, a message sent to him has not been replied.

Obinwannem News had previously reported https://www.obinwannemnews.com/tension-in-lagos-as-nigerian-soldiers-open-fire-on-protesters/.

Nigeria still faces global condemnation after its security forces opened fire on hundreds of peaceful #EndSARS protesters in Lagos, killing at least 12 people, according to Amnesty International.

Ijeoma Njoku reporting, Obinwannem News

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