The Central Bank of Nigeria has asked
Justice Ahmed Mohammed of a Federal High Court in Abuja not to unfreeze the
accounts of #EndSARS campaigners because they are still under probe for
terrorism financing.
The CBN said this in a
counter-affidavit 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 had through an ex
parte order frozen the account of Gatefield Nigeria Limited and 19 other
persons who played a role 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.”
The apex bank said it did not
need to inform the #EndSARS campaigners about the freezing of their accounts
because of the nature of the investigation which 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 Parliament of the United
Kingdom had last week criticised the Federal Government for freezing the
accounts of #EndSARS campaigners under the guise of probing terrorist
financing.
The accounts have been frozen for
40 days while none of the accused has been invited for questioning.
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