Nigerians have continued to react to the Central Bank of Nigeria freezing of accounts of key players against the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, police brutality across the country.
The CBN yesterday had been widely reported to have filed an ex-parte court application to freeze the account on October 20, which was promptly granted by Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court.
Aisha Yesufu, a member of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) and a human rights activist described the judiciary as the most useless in world for granting the ex-parte order used by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in freezing the account peaceful #EndSARS protesters.
Yesufu in a tweet in reaction said the judiciary is worse than the politicians in Nigeria.
She said, “Nigerian judiciary is the most useless in the world. They are worse than our politicians. Every form of evil in this country is always supported and endorsed by them.”
Also, Inihebe Effiong, a human right lawyer, said the country needs courageous judges.
“Without an independent judiciary, our efforts at nation building will be in vain. Judges should live above board. A judicial officer should take his oath of office as his life. We need courageous judges, magistrates and lawyers at this time when repression is the regime’s policy.”
“This corrupt and rogue regime has bastardized the Judiciary.”
“A judge cannot grant a wrong or questionable order without a lawyer. Lawyers are the ones that prepare and file all the frivolous charges and applications in court. We have a serious crisis in the legal profession but many of us are shying away from it. We’ve a long way to go.”
Babatunde Gbadamosi, a former Governorship candidate in Lagos State described the freezing the CBN as an economic terrorism.
Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) governor Godwin Emefiele gives a press conference on the naira devaluation during a media briefing in Abuja on June 15, 2016.
“Freezing the accounts of organisers of s peaceful protest is Economic TERRORISM by the CBN. Does Godwin Emefiele sanction the brutality of SARS?” he said.
The bank accounts blocked included those run by Gatefield, a public interest think-tank, and Bassey Israel, a pharmacist, Pamilerin and Rinu, both social influencers.
Gatefield has already filed a lawsuit challenging the freezing of its account.
Israel who was in charge of the #EndSARS medical team in Port Harcourt, in an interview Punch Newspaper, said his account with Access Bank marked 003397XXXX had remained frozen since October 15.
The case was also said to have been argued by Micheal Aondokaa, a former attorney-general of the federal under the late President Umaru Musa Yar-adua government.
He was said to have argued the case for the freezing of the accounts on behalf of CBN.
The lawyers did not say what the #EndSARS campaigners did against the law to attract freezing of their bank accounts.
The full list includes: Bolatito Rachael Oduala, Chima David Ibebunjoh, Mary Doose Kpengwa, Gatefield Nigeria Limited, Saadat Temitope Bibi, Bassey Victor Israel, Wisdom Busaosowo Obi,, Nicholas Ikhalea Osazele
Ebere Idibie, Akintomide Lanre Yusuf, Uhuo Ezenwanyi Promise, Mosopefoluwa Odeseye, Adegoke Pamilerin Emmanuel, Umoh Grace Ekanem, Babatunde Victor Segun, Mulu Louis Teghenan, Mary Oshifowora, Winifred Akpevweoghene Jacob, Victor Solomon, Idunu A. Williams.