CHRICED, YIAGA, others flay CBN’s clampdown on protesters’ accounts

FCT inaugurates compensation committee

The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has condemned the state-sanctioned attacks aimed at silencing critical citizens’ voices, especially in the wake of the EndSARS protests.

The Executive Director, Dr. Ibrahim Zikirullahi, yesterday described the development as an attempt by the government to further muzzle voices demanding an end to police brutality and good governance.

According to him, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recently obtained an ex parte order to freeze accounts of individuals said to be funding the #EndSARS protests.

“Such a draconian and retrogressive move at a time the government claims it is listening to the demands of the protesters constitutes a brazen infringement on citizens’ rights,” he added.
SIMILARLY, Access to Justice (a2justice) said the CBN’s action was unlawful and unconstitutional.

The CBN had obtained an order from Justice Ahmed Mohammed to freeze more than 20 account of more than 20 persons associated with the EndSARS protests last week.

Convener of the group, Joseph Otteh, stated yesterday that “CBN has no power under law to act as a criminal agency or law enforcement arm of the government.”

Otteh added that the CBN’s prior actions were wholly unlawful and unconstitutional.
YOUTH Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) Africa and Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria have raised the alarm over attacks on members of the panel probing the #EndSARS movement and police brutality.

The civil society groups, in their weekly update on #EndSARS signed by Cynthia Mbamalu (YIAGA) and Yemi Adamolekun (EiE), alleged that recent clampdown on bank accounts was targeted at youth representing at the panels.

According to the groups, the action has grave implication towards building citizens’ confidence in the panels and in the ability of the panels to ensure justice for victims of police brutality.

THREE weeks after hoodlums hijacked the peaceful EndSARS protests, which led loss of lives and properties, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCT) has inaugurated a ministerial committee to identify the victims and recommend appropriate compensation.

Minister of FCT, Muhammad Bello, charged the 18-man committee to carefully identify families of those who were killed during the violence and assess the damages on public and private properties.

Bello, who said the ministerial assignment was sacrosanct for the administration, explained that the committee headed by the Director-General of FCT Emergency Management Agency, Idris Abbas, must turn in its report within two weeks.

He urged the members, to deploy its expertise and recommend also strategies to forestall future occurrences of such violence.

“The committee has two weeks to submit its report on the following Terms of Reference (ToR): Visit and assess the extent of damage to individual and public properties and assign value; identify those affected and ascertain their losses; recommend level and modalities of compensation; and advise the FCTA generally on measures to forestall future occurrence,” Abbas stated.

Also, FCT Permanent Secretary, Olusade Adesola, who decried the number of people who were reportedly killed during the violence, called on members of the committee to see the assignment as a national service deserving the best sacrifices.

The permanent secretary noted that the administration was counting on the patriotism of the committee members to address all grievances arising from the protest.