A public affairs company, Gatefield Nigeria Limited, has sued Access Bank Plc for N100m for “unilaterally” freezing its account.
The firm said the money that was frozen in its account was meant for mobilising independent journalists during the #EndSARS protests.
The case was instituted before a Federal High Court in Abuja on October 28, 2020.
“As more people contributed to our efforts, we noticed that we could no longer conduct transactions on the dedicated account we used for this particular activity,” Adewunmi Emoruwa, the lead strategist for Abuja-based Gatefield, told Bloomberg on Tuesday through the phone.
“A successful challenge at the court could make the difference for others who were likewise targeted,” Emoruwa said.
According to Emoruwa, Gatefield was told by Access Bank that it was directed by the Central Bank of Nigeria to put restrictions on the account, a directive that was implemented on October 15.
A spokesman for Access Bank says the lender doesn’t comment on its customers to third parties, while the spokesman for the Central Bank didn’t respond to emails and calls seeking comment.