Justice Ahmed Mohammed of a Federal High Court in Abuja has set aside the order he made on November 4, 2020 freezing the accounts linked to some promoters of the #EndSARS protest that took place across the country in 2020.
Justice Mohammed, in a ruling, delivered this morning Wednesday, February 10, also ordered all affected banks to immediately unfreeze the affected accounts.
The CBN had approached the court and obtained an order to freeze the accounts of persons who received donations for the EndSARS protesters. Those whose accounts were frozen 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. Others include Umoh Ekanem, Babatunde Segun, Mulu Teghenan, Mary Oshifowora, Winifred Jacob, Victor Solomon, and Idunu Williams.
At the hearing of the case this morning, Justice Mohammed proceeded to strike out the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1384/2020 filed by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and in respect of which the ex-parte order freezing the accounts for 180 days was made on November 4, 2020.
Former Minister of Justice who is the legal counsel of the CBN, Michael Aondoakaa, and Femi Falana, counsel to the EndSARS protesters, had approached the court with their intention to withdraw all the processes filed in the case for peace to reign and for the ongoing process of reconciliation, at the various panels of enquiry on police brutality across the country, to progress unhindered.
