CBN begs court to keep accounts of #EndSARS promoters frozen

THE Central Bank of Nigeria has, in a fresh legal move, filed a counter affidavit to appeal to Justice Ahmed Mohammed of a Federal High Court in Abuja to keep the accounts of #EndSARS promoters frozen.

The apex court claimed in the counter affidavit that the owners of the accounts are still under investigation for terrorism.

The counter affidavit is in opposition to a motion on notice filed by Gatefield Nigeria Limited, a company that sponsored freelance journalists to cover the #EndSARS protests in October.

The apex bank, in the wake of the quashed #EndSARS protest had, through an ex parte order, frozen the account of Gatefield Nigeria Limited and 19  young Nigerians believed to have played prominent roles in the protests.

However, Gatefield opposed the CBN’s action in court, insisting that the act was illegal because the apex bank had frozen the accounts even before the court order to do so was obtained.

In a counter-affidavit filed by a lawyer, A.J. Apera, on behalf of the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, the apex bank stated that it duly obtained a court order on November 4, 2020 to freeze the accounts.

The CBN, however, made no mention of #EndSARS in the court papers but only told the court that all those whose accounts were frozen were under probe for suspected terrorism.

The affidavit read in part, “That the bank accounts frozen by this honourable court in this case are suspected to be involved in transactions bordering on terrorism financing and that the said accounts are being investigated by the Central Bank of Nigeria in that regard.”

According to the apex bank, the accounts owners were not informed beforehand that their accounts would be frozen because the investigation is terrorism-related.

It added, “That the allegations involving the defendants’ accounts being investigated by the Central Bank of Nigeria border on terrorism and that there was an extreme urgency warranting the grant of the ex parte order in this suit.”

The apex court said it had the legal right to investigate the defendants because it had to do with financing and funds being stored in financial institutions.

The CBN said it would forward its findings to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit for further investigation.

The affidavit further read, “That it will be in the best interest of justice that the instant application be dismissed as the investigations being conducted by the Central Bank of Nigeria in respect of the defendants’ frozen accounts have not been concluded.”

The accounts have been frozen for 40 days while none of the accused has been invited for questioning.

The decision of the CBN has attracted condemnation both locally and globally with many people saying it’s a move to muzzle dissenting voices and stifle opposition in Nigeria.