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Unfreeze 20 #EndSARS Protesters Bank Accounts – Court Orders CBN
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to unfreeze the accounts of 20 #EndSARS campaigners targeted by the apex bank after last year’s anti-police brutality demonstrations.
The accounts of the protesters remained frozen despite the expiration of the 90-day order on February 2, according Premium Times report.
The judge, Ahmed Mohammed, issued the order unfreezing the accounts after the legal teams of both the CBN and the 20 defendants decided to end the case on Wednesday.
The judge commended the two lawyers for their “commitment to ensure justice” after they announced their decision to withdraw all pending applications and the entire suit.
“In the light of this, the ex parte order issued on November 4, 2022 freezing the accounts of the defendants pending the investigation by the Central Bank of Nigeria is here by set aside.
“An order is also made unfreezing the accounts of the defendants,” Mr Mohammed ruled on Wednesday.
Earlier, CBN’s lawyer, Michael Aondoakaa, a former Attorney-General of the Federation, told the judge he filed an ex parte application for the extension of the expired order on Tuesday, but later got instruction from the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, to withdraw the case.
Mr Aondoakaa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said he was withdrawing the suit in the spirit of reconciliation behind the setting up of the various Judicial Panels of Inquiry set up to probe cases of police brutality in the aftermath of the #EndSARS protests.
He said, “This matter involves young people. I talked to my colleagues and I advised, let us discard all the processes. I will withdraw my processes and they will withdraw theirs.
“By implication, the order goes, the accounts will be unfrozen, and nobody will be indicted.
“The government has set up reconciliation panels. We should give room for a rethink on this matter.
“We have the instruction form my client, the Governor of CBN, that in the spirit of reconciliation, we should not apply for the extension of the order.
“So we are withdrawing our ex parte motion. We should allow reconciliation and peace to reign.”
Responding, the defendants’ lawyer, Femi Falana, also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, confirmed that he had discussed with Mr Aondoakaa “on the way forward in this matter.”
He, however, insisted that “the order ex parte made by this court expired last week.”
He said he had filed “a motion to have the order quashed” but “has been overtaken by event, since the order has expired.”
After hearing the two lawyers, the judge set aside the order and struck out the suit.
Mr Aondokaa promised to ensure that that “the accounts are unfrozen” as soon as the court’s written order is issued.
The #EndSARS protesters and promoters targeted in the case by the CBN included 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.
The rest are, Umoh Ekanem, Babatunde Segun, Mulu Teghenan, Mary Oshifowora, Winifred Jacob, Victor Solomon, and Idunu Williams.
The 20 account holders affected by the freezing order had participated in or contributed to the #EndSARS protests which were triggered by grievances arising from years of harassment and rights violations by operatives of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The protests led to the disbandment of the police tactical squad in October last year.
In the twilight of the protests, the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, on October 15, 2020, directed various banks to place a Post-No-Debit order on the accounts linked to the 20 #EndSARS campaigners.
About three weeks after, the CBN, through its lawyer, Mr Aondoakaa, on November 4, 2020, obtained an ex parte order of the Federal High Court in Abuja freezing their bank accounts for 90 days.
The judge gave the order based on CBN’s allegation that the 20 defendants were suspected of terrorism financing.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how the court order was widely condemned as an attack on democracy.
The protesters challenged the order but the judge, who kept adjourning the case, did not conclude hearing on the matter until Wednesday.
Premium Times
The General Council of the World Trade Organization (WTO) has agreed by consensus to reappoint Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as Director-General for a second four-year term, set to begin on 1 September 2025. This decision reflects broad recognition of her exceptional leadership and strategic vision for the future of the WTO.
The reappointment process, initiated on 8 October 2024, was overseen by Ambassador Petter Ølberg of Norway, Chair of the General Council. With no additional nominations submitted by the 8 November deadline, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala stood as the sole candidate. The process was conducted in a fully open and transparent manner, adhering to the WTO’s “Procedures for the Appointment of Directors-General” (WT/L/509).
During a special General Council meeting on 28-29 November 2024, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala outlined her forward-looking vision for the WTO. Following her presentation and a Q&A session with members, the Council formally endorsed her reappointment by consensus.
Ambassador Ølberg praised her achievements, stating:
“The General Council commends Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for her outstanding leadership during her first term. Amid significant global economic challenges, she strengthened the WTO’s ability to support its members and set a forward-looking agenda for the organization. Her leadership was instrumental in securing meaningful outcomes at pivotal moments, including the 12th and 13th Ministerial Conferences (MC12 and MC13), where major milestones were achieved.”
He continued:
“As we look ahead, the Council fully supports Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s commitment to ensuring that the WTO remains responsive, inclusive, and results-driven. Her leadership will be critical as the organization continues to advance a resilient, rules-based, and equitable global trading system.”
Background
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala first assumed office as Director-General on 1 March 2021, becoming the first woman and first African to lead the WTO. Her first term concludes on 31 August 2025. Her reappointment highlights the strong support for her efforts to enhance the WTO’s relevance and capacity in addressing the evolving challenges of global trade.
Source: wto.org
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Thursday, published a list of 9, 532 alleged land title debtors in Abuja, giving them a two-week ultimatum to settle their outstanding bills.
The list, which includes prominent individuals and government agencies, was published on November 26, with defaulters expected to pay for their certificate of occupancy (C-of- O) within the stipulated timeframe.
Among those listed as defaulters is former Head of State, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB), who owes N152 million for a plot of land in Asokoro, a highbrow area in the nation’s capital. IBB, who ruled Nigeria from 1985 to 1993, is not the only high-profile individual on the list.
Other notable defaulters include Samuel Ortom, former governor of Benue, who owes N950,000 for a plot of land in Bazango, and Aminu Tambuwal, senator representing Sokoto south, who owes N18 million for a plot of land in Carraway Dallas.
The FCTA has threatened to revoke the land titles of defaulters who fail to settle their bills within the stipulated timeframe. The administration has urged defaulters to settle their bills by e-payment to the “FCT department of land administration” account.
In addition to individual defaulters, some federal agencies, including the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), the navy, and police, were also named as defaulters.
The Lagos governor’s lodge in Asokoro, the Kaduna state government, and ‘State House Abuja’ were also listed as land title debtors.
This development is not the first time the FCTA has taken steps to recover outstanding debts from landowners. In June this year, the administration set up a committee to recover over N29 billion owed by property owners.
The committee has since identified 430 individuals and organisations as defaulters, with plans to prosecute them.
The FCTA has also partnered with anti-graft agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to check the activities of land grabbers in the territory.
The Senate has granted approval to the ₦1.77 trillion ($2.2b) loan request of President Bola Tinubu after a voice vote in favor of the request.
The Senate presided by Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, approved the loan after the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts chaired by Senator Wammako Magatarkada (APC, Sokoto North) presented the report of the committee.
The request which was submitted by the President on Tuesday is part of a fresh external borrowing plan to partially finance the N9.7 trillion budget deficit for the 2024 fiscal year.
Tinubu had on Tuesday written to the National Assembly, seeking approval of a fresh N1.767 trillion, the equivalent of $2.209 billion as a new external borrowing plan in the 2024 Appropriation Act.
The fresh loan is expected to stretch the amount spent on debt servicing by the Federal Government. The Central Bank of Nigeria recently said that it cost the Federal Government $3.58 billion to service foreign debt in the first nine months of 2024.
The CBN report on international payment statistics showed that the amount represents a 39.77 per cent increase from the $2.56bn spent during the same period in 2023.
According to the report, while the highest monthly debt servicing payment in 2024 occurred in May, amounting to $854.37m, the highest monthly expenditure in 2023 was $641.70m, recorded in July.
The trend in foreign debt servicing by the CBN highlights the rising cost of debt obligations by Nigeria.
Further breakdown of international debt figures showed that in January 2024, debt servicing costs surged by 398.89 per cent, rising to $560.52m from $112.35m in January 2023. February, however, saw a slight decline of 1.84 per cent, with payments reducing from $288.54m in 2023 to $283.22m in 2024.
March recorded a 31.04 per cent drop in payments, falling to $276.17m from $400.47m in the same period last year. April saw a significant rise of 131.77 per cent, with $215.20m paid in 2024 compared to $92.85m in 2023.
The highest debt servicing payment occurred in May 2024, when $854.37m was spent, reflecting a 286.52 per cent increase compared to $221.05m in May 2023. June, on the other hand, saw a 6.51 per cent decline, with $50.82m paid in 2024, down from $54.36m in 2023.
July 2024 recorded a 15.48 per cent reduction, with payments dropping to $542.50m from $641.70m in July 2023. In August, there was another decline of 9.69 per cent, as $279.95m was paid compared to $309.96m in 2023. However, September 2024 saw a 17.49 per cent increase, with payments rising to $515.81m from $439.06m in the same month last year.
Given rising exchange rates, the data raises concerns about the growing pressure of Nigeria’s foreign debt obligations.
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