Witness narrates how Ex-HoS, allies diverted public funds to private companies in court
CBN opposes the unfreezing of #EndSARS campaigners’ account, asks court to dismiss suit
By Modupe Shodeinde
The Central Bank of Nigeria in opposition to a suit filed by Gatefield Nigeria Limited, has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja not to unfreeze the accounts of #EndSARS promoters, stating that the accounts were being probed for terrorist activities.
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 CBN had received an ex parte order to freeze the accounts of 19 individuals and Gatefield for 180 days pending the outcome of the investigation and inquiry being conducted by the Apex Bank.
The request was granted by Justice Ahmed Mohammed, sitting in a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Gatefield had however opposed the CBN action in court and termed it illegal because the bank had frozen the accounts before acquiring the order.
The Central Bank had in a counter affidavit filed by a lawyer, A.J. Apera, stated that it received the order to freeze the accounts on November 4, 2020.
The affidavit stated, “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.”
“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.” it added.
According to the apex bank, the #EndSARS campaigners were not informed about the freezing of their accounts because of the nature of the investigation which is terrorism-related.
The CBN said it would forward its findings to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit for further investigation.
The affidavit asked for the dismissal of the instant application as the investigations being conducted by the Central Bank of Nigeria in respect of the defendants’ frozen accounts is still ongoing.
