By Ahmed Rahma
A Nigerian human rights activist, brand influencer and media strategist, Ms Bolatito Rinu Oduala, has hinted her intention to file a suit against the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Ms Oduola, who is a member of the Lagos State Judicial Panel set up to look into cases of human rights abuses by security officials in the state, said she will sue the apex bank for denying her access to her bank accounts.
The CBN had in November 2020 frozen the bank accounts of some prominent promoters of the #EndSARS campaign in the country.
But on Wednesday, a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the central bank to unfreeze the accounts after counsels of both parties agreed to stop the case.
The judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, commended the two lawyers for their “commitment to ensuring justice.”
“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 hereby set aside.
“An order is also made unfreezing the accounts of the defendants,” Mr Mohammed ruled on Wednesday.
Earlier, CBN’s lawyer, Mr Michael Aondoakaa, a former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), 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, Mr Godwin Emefiele, to withdraw the case.
Reacting to the news, Ms Oduola said she would challenge the action of the CBN in court because she was denied access to her funds.
“It’s time to sue [the] CBN for the unlawful freeze (sic) of my accounts. I was accused of money laundering & terrorism but no investigations were done in the past 3 months.
“This was purely an act of intimidation! I have informed my lawyers, Falana and Falana Chambers & we will be suing!” she posted on her official Twitter page today.
