*Says 123, 513 cases pending before the court

*As SANs blame attack on courts by hoodlums on sluggish Justice system

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri


Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, on Tuesday, said it was not true that the court intentionally froze accounts of promoters of the recent #EndSARS protest.

Justice Tsoho stressed that contrary to media reports, the court froze accounts of some corporate entities the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, accused of sabotaging the country’s economy.

He spoke during a special court session the High Court held to mark the commencement of its 2020/2021 legal year.

The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, had in a speech its National President, Mr. Olumide Akpata, presented at the event, slammed the court for freezing bank accounts of some persons that allegedly played key role during the #EndSARS protest.


The NBA President, whose speech was read by Mr. Yusuf Kadiri, said: “I must remind us of the dwindling hopes of the common man in the Judiciary.

“Following the #Endsars protests, this Honourable court was involved in the press, in a rather uncomplimentary manner on account of freezing of bank accounts of individuals and organisations believed to have bankrolled the process”.

Reacting to NBA’s statement, Justice Tsoho, said that contrary to media reports, the CBN, approached motions to freeze the bank accounts, three months before the protest.

According to the CJ: “Three months before the protest, the CBN kept bringing applications almost in their hundreds based on what they call deliberate resolve to ruin the economy through money laundering.

“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.

“If steps were not taken at that time, the Nigerian economy would have collapsed, that is to say about three months ago, the dollar would have exchanged far above N500”, he added.


Giving account of activities of the high court in the last legal year, Justice Tsoho, disclosed that a total of 10, 464 cases were brought by litigants in a period of 10 months spanning between September 2019 to June 2020.

Out said the cases comprised of 2, 851 civil cases, 2, 599 criminal cases, 3, 049 motions and 1,965 fundamental rights applications.

The CJ further disclosed that the total number of cases disposed of during the last legal year was 8, 585 cases, adding that a total of 123, 513 cases are still pending before the court.

Meanwhile, the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, BOSAN, in a statement it presented at the event, said attacks on courts by hoodlums during the #EndSARS protests, should be blamed on sluggish justice system in the country.

The body of SANs, in its speech that was presented by Chief J. K. Gadzama, SAN, said: “It is easy to dismiss this as the work of hoodlums, but it is worthwhile to consider that it signals a general and growing disenchantment with the entire justice architecture.

“The man on the street is not particularly concerned with the caseload of the judge or magistrate; all he knows is that the system is sluggish. He does but understand or appreciate the necessity of procedural rules; but he feels it very keenly when a hearing on the merits is truncated on purely technical grounds. These are only a few of this disenchantment”, BOSAN added.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/12/endsars-protests-we-froze-accounts-of-companies-not-individuals-fhc-cj/

Arrrrrrrh

God !

How do people sit to create lies? Which company account did they freeze to be precise?

When I saw the memo with not less than 31 individual's account freeze.. I don tire for our country.

They will be acting like fools without thinking, when it starts getting back on them they will start denial game.

Shifting goalpost as usual......



There was an initial release of those who's account got freezed and they're coming from 2019 to be talking trash in 2020.....

Liar!!
Even if it's true, didn't you know that the companies are owned by individuals.
God will punish you all

When will they freeze the accounts of sponsors of Boko Haram and bandits. oh that will be tantamount to freezing their own accounts.

Ndi ara Ndi Uchu

Group of company of Individuals

What's this nonsense?? So Pamilerin don turn company?? It's a wawu something. Sometimes these guys in govt take Nigerians as fools sha. They no rate us at all

Form BUHARI to Any elected person in the GOVERNMENT.

E NO GO BETTER FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES!!

Are those companies not owned by human being Mr quack lawyer

This is their 6th lie.

Okay.

Between the Nigerian Government and my Haier Thermocool fridge, I no know who freeze pass!


Stupid Government and frozen BBQ

Nothing lasts forever, make una dey continue, one day na one day.

So is it not individuals that own the companies?

These people can lie, Chai! First, they "mistakenly" froze those peoples accounts. Now, "it was company accounts that were frozen". Stoopid man! See his face like roasted bushmeat

Noted

followers of lie moha if you add med na you sabi.

When a judge comes to the Media to explain his judgement ...then things have spoiled well well

Anything for sane and good Nigerians to know the truth.

I can't wait for you guys to finish your investigation about this accounts and tell Nigeria the evil politicians that sponsored hoodlums to start killing and burning down private businesses and put a stop to our peaceful protest initially.

They will pay for their evil act.

even the devil go dey always shock for the kind of lies coming out from Nigeria

Companies are Legal Persons(Company Law Everywhere), so it is very wrong to freeze Companies Accounts under any guise.

Lies of this government can shock the devi himself.

Rinu's account that was frozen nkọ? Is she a company?

Mi bloodclaat you Mr John Chocho!

ILoveDemMANNA:
Anything for sane and good Nigerians to know the truth.

I can't wait for you guys to finish your investigation about this accounts and tell Nigeria the evil politicians that sponsored hoodlums to start killing and burning down private businesses and put a stop to our peaceful protest initially.

They will pay for their evil act.

Oga, no company weh sponsor any hoodlum attack, hunger and poverty addi real motivator..

Lies now thrives in this country with impunity. Every one affiliated with the government now dishes it with audacity