Court Orders CBN To Unfreeze Accounts Of Constitutional Lawyer

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered some banks to immediately unfreeze 18 bank accounts operated by a constitutional lawyer Ojukwu Chikaosolu.

Delivering the ruling on Monday, Justice Ahmed Mohammed held that from affidavit evidence before the court, it was only the applicant that collected the sum of $4,000 Business Travel Allowance/Personal Travel Allowance, and exhibited all travel documents to really show that he travelled and utilized the said money.

He said that the Central Bank of Nigeria can only attach the account used in obtaining the PTA and not all the accounts of the customer.

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The Central Bank Governor, had by an ex-parte application, applied for an order freezing 383 bank accounts for 180 days on the grounds that it was investigating allegations that certain customers of commercial/ merchant banks received foreign exchange under the false pretext of international travel.

Consequently, on March 14, the court made an order empowering the CBN Governor (Respondent) to direct the Head Offices of Banks to freeze the accounts of customers alleged to have received BTA/PTA under the false pretence of travelling abroad.

However, in a motion on notice, filed by Ojukwu  Chikaosolu, the applicant prayed for an order setting aside the o empowering the CBN Governor,  to direct the Head Offices of Banks to freeze accounts alleged to have received BTA/PTA under false pretence.