Akeredolu Backs Freezing Of EndSARS Protesters’ Accounts – ‘I Don’t See Anything Wrong With It’
Akeredolu Backs Freezing Of EndSARS Protesters’ Accounts – ‘I Don’t See Anything Wrong With It’
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has defended the freezing of bank accounts belonging to #EndSARS protesters.
The Governor said the protesters whose accounts were frozen had the right to approach the court and defend themselves against the action.
Akeredolu, who spoke on Channels Television Sunrise Daily program on Wednesday, noted that the freezing of the account should not be linked with acts of treason.
He expressed;
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.
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 account, the account 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.
Although some social commentators and members of the public have described the action of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as an abuse of power, the former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) said the protesters must explain the flow of funds into their accounts.
The Governor, who doubles as the Chairman of the South-West Governors’ Forum, explained;
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 before the hoodlums took over,’ it will be explained, people will know and the accounts will be de-frozen.
Akeredolu equally downplayed insinuations that the protesters are being charged for a treasonable offence.
He stressed;
It is just that we (CBN) suspected this account then the owner of the account will explain. It is not a conclusion that those accounts were used for acts of treason.
A Federal High Court in Abuja last Friday granted the request of the CBN to freeze the accounts of 19 individuals and a public affairs company linked to the #EndSARS protests.
It directed the banks to freeze forthwith all transactions on the 20 accounts on the list annexed to the CBN’s application as Exhibit A and all other bank accounts of the defendants/respondents for a period of 180 days pending the outcome of investigation and inquiry currently being conducted by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The request, granted by Justice Ahmed Mohammed, was filed by the CBN on October 20.
The court order is addressed to the head offices of Access Bank, Fidelity Bank, First Bank Nigeria, Guaranty Trust Bank, United Bank of Africa and Zenith Bank.
