The Attorney-General of the federation, Abubakar Malami has
said the Federal Government is still contemplating options allowed by the law
if or not to unfreeze the bank accounts of 20 #EndSARS protesters.
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday set aside the
order it made on November 4, 2020, freezing accounts linked with some promoters
of the #EndSARS protesters that took place across the country last year.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed, in the ruling, ordered all affected
banks to “immediately unfreeze the affected accounts.’
The AGF who spoke on Sunrise Daily on Channels Tv regarding
the court order said a lot of factors has to be considered as regard compliance
with the court order. According to Malami, the Federal Government has multiple
options before complying under the law.
“We need to take in a lot of factors with particular
reference to the compliance with the court order and within the context of
striking a balance, the options that are available are multiple,” he said.
“One, the consideration of or a possibility of wholehearted
compliance with the court order; that is, comprehensive, unconditional
compliance with the order relating with the unfreezing of the #EndSARS account.
“But, that does not take away the right of government to
give a further consideration when the need arises, a consideration, for
example, of exercising the right of appeal against the order, if the need
arises, coupled with the right of stay of execution of the order or perhaps,
application of variation of order, among others.
Malami explained that while the government has decided to
exercise these rights and appeal of variation of the court order or an appeal
for setting aside the order or perhaps stay of execution of the order, the
government has not breached any order.
Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, counsel to the #EndSars protesters,
however, said the Federal Government had nothing to act on to freeze the
accounts of the protesters. He said it is a violation of constitutional
provisions that guaranteed the rights of Nigerians to protests.
Falana also asked CBN to stay out of politics and stick to
the business of banking.
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