Lawyer Berates Access Bank Over Refusal To Unfreeze Account
Mr Anthony Agbasiere, a lawyer and customer to Access bank PLC on Friday protested the refusal of Access Bank PLC to unfreeze his account in line with an order of an Anambra State High Court.
Agbasiere who spoke to journalists at the Regina Ceali junction, Enugu-Onitsha Expressway branch of Access Bank in Awka said he was amazed that the bank would ignore the order of court.
He said his account was frozen on the order of an Abuja Magistrate Court in 2020 but the order was vacated on July 19, 2021 by an Anambra High Court, sitting in Awka.
According to the order made available to newsmen, Justice Chukwudi Okaa said that the application fundamental right on Suit no.A/ Misc 96/2021 had merit and succeeds.
“It is hereby declared that the action of the Respondent
freezing and/or placing a hold on the Applicants Account No: 0086239935 with the Respondent is unlawful and a breach of the Applicant’s fundamental right.
“The Respondent is hereby Ordered to defreeze and/or
remove forthwith the post No debt Order placed on the Applicant’s Account No: 0086239935.
“The Respondent shall pay N3 Milion damages to the Applicant for contravening the Applicant’s Fundamental Right without a lawful Court Order and N100,000.00 as cost to the Applicant,” he said.
Agabasiere said was at the bank for over six hours to draw from his account but wondered why Access bank refused to honour his cheque.
He said though the commercial bank had served him with Stay of Execution Notice, the notice only contested the payment of damages and cost and not the order to unfreeze his account.
Agbasiere said, this account has been frozen for over a year, and a court of competent jurisdiction has made an order that they should unfreeze the account but they refused.
The lawyer displaced a copy of the cheque which the Bank did not honour but had ‘still in court’ written on it in red ink.
“This is what millions of Nigerian bank customers go through and because they don’t know their rights, they get intimidated into forfeiting their legitimate money to banks.
“I want the world to hear about the level of lawlessness we are in this country, how can Access bank trap my money running into millions for over a year and still refuses to pay after a court has ordered so,” he said.
Responding through their legal representatives , Access Bank said it had appealed against the court order and also filed a motion for stay of execution which had been served to the customer.
Oguchienti of Oguchienti and Oguchienti told journalists that Agbasiere would get his money in full if he wins at the Appeal and advised that he should be patient for the law to run its full course.
“We appealed against everything in the order, he should be patient, he will get his money if wins at the appeal,” he said.
