Falana counters Malami, says CBN cannot appeal unfreezing of #EndSARS campaigners’ accounts

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana says Thursday that the Central Bank of Nigeria cannot appeal the court judgment unfreezing the bank account of 20 #EndSARS campaigners.

Falana, who was a guest on Channels Television’s
Sunrise Daily, said the apex bank failed to conduct an investigation into the allegation of terrorism and money laundering levelled against the #EndSARS campaigners, and as such, no offense was established.

His position countered that of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, that government was considering appealing the order.

The human rights activist noted that while both sides in the matter had withdrawn from the case, his clients would go on to challenge the “gross violation” of their rights to their property.

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He had dragged the Federal Government and the CBN through court for trampling on their rights by unlawfully freezing their accounts last October out of “sheer intimidation”.

Falana asked the CBN to stay out of politics and stick to the business of banking.

Following the #EndSARS protest that rocked the nation in October 2020, the CBN obtained an injunction from the court to freeze the accounts of certain individuals and a public affairs company linked to the protests, a move which Falana described as sheer intimidation.

Falana argued that the apex bank went out of its way when it froze the campaigners’ accounts and argued that the CBN misled the court into believing that some grave offences had been committed, which would require time to run an investigation.

“I do hope that sufficient lessons have been learnt particularly by the Central Bank to desist from jumping into the political arena by attempting to freeze the accounts of people who are involved in the struggle one way or the other against the government,” he stated.