A human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria to desist from politics and focus on its regulatory role and says #EndSARS campaigners whose rights were impinged will sue the financial institution.

Mr. Falana stated this after the Abuja division of the Federal High Court ordered the CBN to unfreeze the bank accounts of 20 #EndSARS campaigners.

In an interview with Channels TV on Thursday, he faulted the CBN for freezing bank accounts linked to promoters of the #EndSARS protests in November 2020.

“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,” Mr. Falana explained.

Stating that the court was misled into granting the request to freeze the protesters’ accounts, the lawyer urged courts to refrain from granting ex parte orders.

“The court should advise the person who brings this application to put the other person on notice for both sides to be heard,” he added.

According to him, the CBN failed to initiate investigations on the allegations raised against the protesters within three months granted by the court.

He said, “Instead of 180 days, the court gave the central bank 90 days to commence and conclude investigations into the accounts and the activities of these young men and women. For the 90 days, there was no investigation at all; this is because no offence was committed.”

Mr. Falana also disclosed that the CBN would subsequently be charged to court for unlawfully freezing the accounts linked to the protesters.

He said, “My clients are going to court to challenge the gross violation of their right to property. They were denied access to their bank accounts for over 90 days which was totally uncalled for. Because the government cannot recognise the rights of Nigerians to protest while you turn round and freeze their account or deny them consular services.”

Peoples Gazette on November 6, revealed how the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, obtained a one-sided federal court order to freeze accounts linked to the #EndSARS campaigners on November 4, for three months.

In December, Peoples Gazette reported that Federal High Court approved the freezing of those accounts of #EndSars protesters in error. John Tsoho, the Chief Judge, said the court did not freeze accounts of #EndSARS protesters but those of corporate bodies under suspicion of money laundering as no names were mentioned following the apex bank’s numerous applications.