The Governor of Ondo State, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, on Wednesday advised some supporters of recent #EndSARS Protest whose Bank Accounts were frozen by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Central Bank (CBN) to challenge the matter in court if they feel their accounts were unlawfully frozen or they were unjustly accused.
Akeredolu, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), insisted that the CBN acted in line with the provisions of the law to freeze the accounts.
Reporters At Large reports that the CBN had last week secured a court order to freeze the accounts of some people believed to be promoters of the recent #EndSARS protest amidst outrage over the issue.
Speaking on a Channels Television discussion monitored in Lagos, Akeredolu, who is the Chairman of the Western Nigeria Governors Forum, asked the owners of the account to approach the court to challenge the decision by proving that the accusations slammed against them by the CBN to warrant the freezing of their accounts, are misguided and fallacious.
He said the account owners can table their bank transactions before the court and explain the motives of their transactions to disclaim the allegations of the CBN that they were promoting terrorism.
He said: “Speaking very honestly, I don’t see anything wrong in it. If for instance, my account was frozen, what would I do? All I would do is go back to court to explain. The #EndSARS promoters should do that.
“Even politicians, their accounts are sometimes frozen. You have to go to court and explain. And at the end of the day, the court will say, ‘Leave the accounts. The accounts should be de-frozen’ and you take your money back.
“If your account is frozen, you justify why the money was there. You come to explain to what use you have put this money.
“If it is that ‘okay, we used this money to pay this caterer to give food to these boys when they were there. We spent money between before the hoodlums took over,’ it will be explained, people will know and the accounts will be de-frozen.
Some of the #EndSARS Supporters whose accounts were frozen include Bolatito Racheal Oduala, Chima David Ibebunjoh, Mary Doose Kpengwa, Saadat Temitope Bibi, Bassey Victor Israel, Wisdom Busaosowo Obi, Nicholas Ikhalea Osazele, Ebere Idibie, Akintomide Lanre Yusuf, Uhuo Ezenwanyi Promise and Mosopefoluwa Odeseye.
Others are Adegoke Pamilerin Yusif. Umoh Grace Ekanem, Babatunde Victor Segun, Mulu Louis Teghenan, Mary Oshifowora, Winifred Akpevweoghene Jacob, Victor Solomon, Idunu A. Williams, and Gatefield Nigeria Limited.
