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Terrorism: #EndSARS Campaigner, Rinu, Tells CBN To Feeze Pantami's Accounts

Published

3 years ago

April 22, 2021

Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami

The Central Bank of Nigeria has been urged to freeze accounts belonging to the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami.

The call was made by an #EndSARS campaigner, Rinu Oduala.

Rinu said Pantami’s accounts should be frozen over his past controversial comments supporting the activities of terrorist groups including Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

Pantami had since renounced his radical pro-terrorists comments, saying he now knows better but Nigerians have been unsparing and relentless in the call for the resignation or sacking of the minister.

Oduala, who tweeted via @SavvyRinu on Thursday, urged the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele to freeze Pantami’s accounts just as the apex bank swiftly froze the accounts of at least 20 #EndSARS promoters last year over terrorism-related allegations.

“Godwin Emefiele, when are you going to freeze the bank accounts of Isa Pantami?” the activist asked.

The apex bank had through an ex parte order frozen the account of Oduala and 19 other persons who played a role in the October #EndSARS protests against police brutality and extrajudicial killings.

The CBN had said the accounts were frozen because of the nature of the investigation which is terrorism-related but after about three months, a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the apex bank to unfreeze the accounts of the 20 #EndSARS protesters.

Oduala, a leading voice during the #EndSARS protests last year had pulled out of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry probing alleged killing of protesters by soldiers at the Lekki toll gate. She had faulted the decision of the retired Justice Doris Okuwobi-led panel to reopen the toll gate when justice hasn’t been served to the victims of the October 20, 2020 Lekki shootings.

See her tweet below: