From Segun Amure, (The New Diplomat’s Abuja Bureau)
An Abuja Federal High Court has ordered to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to unfreeze the accounts of 20 #EndSARS protesters.
In his ruling, Wednesday, Justice, Ahmed Mohammed issued the order to unfreeze the accounts after the legal teams of both the CBN and the 20 defendants decided to close the case.
The order came after all the parties in the CBN’s suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1384/2020, notified the court that they had resolved to amicably settle the matter by withdrawing all the processes they earlier filed with respect to the suit.
The CBN was represented by the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Michael Aondoakaa, SAN, while Human rights Lawyer, Femi Falana represented the defendants.
The senior lawyers stated on Wednesday that the decision to withdraw all the processes in the suit was to allow various panels of enquiries to progress with their investigations and heal the wounds caused by the protest on the defendants.
Recall that a federal high court sitting in Abuja had in November 2020 granted the request of CBN to freeze the accounts of 20 EndSARS promoters.
The accounts are domiciled in Access Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, Fidelity Bank, First Bank, United Bank for Africa, and Zenith Bank.
Godwin Emefiele in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1384/2020, had prayed the court to order him to direct the head office of each of the banks to “freeze forthwith all transactions on the 20 Bank Accounts listed hereunder and all other bank accounts of the Defendants/Respondents for a period of 90 days pending the outcome of investigation and inquiry currently being conducted” by the CBN.
The defendants include Bolatito Oduala, Chima Ibebunjoh, Mary Kpengwa, Gatefield Nigeria Limited, Saadat Bibi, Bassey Israel, Wisdom Obi, Nicholas Osazele, Ebere Idibie, Akintomide Yusuf, Uhuo Promise, Mosopefoluwa Odeseye and Adegoke Emmanuel.
The rest are Umoh Ekanem, Babatunde Segun, Mulu Teghenan, Mary Oshifowora, Winifred Jacob, Victor Solomon and Idunu Williams.
The court added that the 90-day freezing order, “when it lapses, may be renewed upon good cause shown by the applicant.”
