#EndSARS protesters and a court gavel.
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has defended the
freezing of bank accounts belonging to #EndSARS promoters and
believes the action is not a conclusion the accounts were used to
sponsor acts of treason.
“Speaking very honestly, I don’t see anything wrong in it,” the
governor who doubles as the Chairman of the South-West Governors’
Forum said on Wednesday in the latest edition of Channels
Television’s Sunrise Daily.
“If for instance, my account was frozen, what would I do? All I
would do is go back to court to explain. Even politicians, their
accounts are sometimes frozen. You have to go to court and explain.
And at the end of the day, the court will say, ‘Leave the account.
The account should be de-frozen’ and you take your money back.”
READ ALSO: Activist Sues Sam Adeyemi, Burna
Boy, 48 Others Over Role In #EndSARS Protests
Although some social commentators and members of the public have
described the action of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as an
abuse of power, the former President of the Nigerian Bar
Association (NBA) said the protesters must explain the flow of
funds into their accounts.
protesters.
“If your account is frozen, you justify why the money was there.
You come to explain to what use you have put this money,”
Akeredolu, who in October defeated Eyitayo Jegede to win a second
term in office, explained.
“If it is that ‘Okay, we used this money to pay this caterer to
give food to these boys when they were there. We spent money
between before the hoodlums took over,’ it will be explained,
people will know and the accounts will be de-frozen.”
Akeredolu equally downplayed insinuations that the protesters
are being charged for a treasonable offence.
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“It is just that we (CBN) suspected this account then the owner
of the account will explain,” he said, noting stressing that it “is
not a conclusion that those accounts were used for acts of
treason.”
CBN Secures Order
A federal high court in Abuja on Friday last week granted the
request of the CBN to freeze the accounts of 19 individuals and a
public affairs company linked to the #EndSARS protests.
The request, granted by Justice Ahmed Mohammed, was filed by the
CBN on October 20.
Some of the affected individuals include Bolatito Racheal
Oduala, Chima David Ibebunjoh, Mary Doose Kpengwa, Saadat Temitope
Bibi, Bassey Victor Israel, Wisdom Busaosowo Obi, Nicholas Ikhalea
Osazele, Ebere Idibie, Akintomide Lanre Yusuf, Uhuo Ezenwanyi
Promise and Mosopefoluwa Odeseye.
READ ALSO: ‘Who Sent This Guy?’: Sam Adeyemi,
Others Respond To Lawsuit Against #EndSARS Protesters
Others are Adegoke Pamilerin Yusif. Umoh Grace Ekanem, Babatunde
Victor Segun, Mulu Louis Teghenan, Mary Oshifowora, Winifred
Akpevweoghene Jacob, Victor Solomon, Idunu A. Williams, and
Gatefield Nigeria Limited.
candlelight procession in honour of victims of police
brutality.
The court order addressed to the head offices of Access Bank,
Fidelity Bank, First Bank Nigeria, Guaranty Trust Bank, United Bank
of Africa, and Zenith Bank, directed the banks to freeze forthwith
all transactions on the 20 accounts on the list annexed to the
CBN’s application as Exhibit A and all other bank accounts of the
defendants/respondents for a period of 180 days pending the outcome
of investigation and inquiry currently being conducted by the
Central Bank of Nigeria.
Gatefield Nigeria Limited had earlier sued Access Bank Plc for
allegedly blocking an account used to promote media coverage of the
#EndSARS protests.