BVN: Banks comply with court order, file information on customers
Case adjourns till Nov 16
Following the interim order of the Federal High Court in Abuja, asking 19 commercial banks to freeze their customers’ accounts without the Bank Verification Numbers (BVN), some banks yesterday complied with the order by filing information on their customers.
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba also ordered the banks to put forward the necessary information concerning the affected customers and convince the court on why it should not permanently forfeited the accounts to the Federal Government.
It is instructive to note that the two weeks deadline has caused apprehension among bank customers in Nigeria and the Diaspora while the ultimatum expired on Friday. But Justice Dimgba has adjourned the matter till November 16, 2017 for definite hearing. The Daily Times recalls that the Incorporated Trustees of Total Support for Rule of Law and Justice Initiative had in a motion filed on its behalf by Chukwudi Igwe Esq urged the court join them as one of the defendants.
A 28-paragraph affidavit dated October 27, deposed to by one Agnes Peter, attached to the application said it is aware that the Federal Government and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) plan to obtain from the court, a permanent forfeiture order of all deposits in all accounts with the 19 commercial banks without the BVN.
The applicant said that making it a defendant will enable it defend the interest of some Nigerians who may have not obtained their BVN based on some prevailing reasons beyond their control.
The group stated that if the permanent forfeiture order is allowed, it would affect accounts that were opened by persons who are deceased and would not appear in court to show cause why the proceeds in the account would not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.
According to the group, other persons that may be affected by the order are those who may not have the finances to appear before the court for purpose of showing cause why the proceeds in the account should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.
The Federal Government through the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice had obtained an interim order to freeze bank accounts in 19 commercial banks in the country without BVN.
It was also revealed that the federal government was planning to apply for order of permanent forfeiture as it intend to block the accounts beyond period allowed by an ex-parte order.
The government had in the suit marked FHC/ ABJ/CS/911/2017, named the commercial banks and joined the Central Bank of Nigeria as the 20th defendant.
Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has pleaded for extension of the deadline and urged to the CBN and the AGF to put modalities and logistics in place for Nigerians in the Diaspora to obtain their BVN to avoid forfeiture of their savings in their respective bank accounts.
Dabiri – Erewa who spoke through her Special Assistant on Media Abdur-Rahman Balogun, implored CBN to make it possible for all Nigerians in the Diaspora to have their BVN done in their countries of abode as there had been challenges in getting it before now.
According to Dabiri-Erewa, the Nigerians in the Diaspora have been remitting billions of US dollars to the country on yearly basis, thus contributing to the socio-economic development of the country.
She said, “I hereby appeal to the CBN to look into the challenges the Nigerians living abroad face in getting their BVN done and extend the deadline for them to get the BVN done,” Dabiri-Erewa added
