Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana has countered the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho's claim that #EndSARS protesters whose accounts were frozen because they are economic saboteurs.
Recall that Justice Tsoho who spoke at a ceremony marking the commencement of the 2020/2021 legal year of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday December 15, alleged that freezing of bank accounts of the #EndSARS protesters prevented dollar from exchanging for N500.
Countering the allegation, Falana stressed that the protest promoters were not economic saboteurs but patriotic citizens. He also recounted how Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele held a virtual meeting with some of the protest promoters in the wake of the peaceful protests.
The lawyer said;
“So if it was the #EndSARS people that were involved in the activities under cover then it is unfortunate for people to begin to call and vilify the court making damaging allegations against the court.
"Emefiele resorted to obtaining ex parte order to freeze the accounts of the protest promoters after failing to convince them to call off the protest.
“Since the application of the 20 #EndSARS promoters seeking to quash the ex parte order freezing their bank accounts is pending before the Federal High Court presided over by the Honourable Justice R.A. Mohammed, I have persuaded our clients to refrain from joining issues with the Honourable Chief Judge over the controversial ex cathedra statement.
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“However, it is pertinent to state that the 20 #EndSARS were not sued as corporate bodies but as individuals whose names and bank accounts are listed in all the processes filed in the court by the Central Bank of Nigeria."
