A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress in Lagos state, Muiz Banire has described the move by the Central Bank of Nigeria to investigate crime as ‘abominable and reckless.’
The Former Chairman of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria and APC Chieftain in Lagos, also labeled the freezing of bank accounts of #EndSARS promoters by the apex bank as “meddlesome interloper.”
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Banire, who once served as commissioner for transportation under Governor Bola Tinubu, stressed that the CBN had no powers to investigate crime of any form.
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Recall that the CBN recently obtained a court order to freeze accounts in different banks linked to individuals pegged as promoters of the #EndSARS campaign.
Banire in a series of tweets twitter on Sunday stated that such powers given to the CBN is unconstitutional and questionable.
He further faulted the government for the Lekki Toll Gate shooting, noting that the attack was “unprovoked.”
He said;
“CBN is not a crime investigation department and constitutionally cannot investigate crime. That being so, it cannot be freezing people’s accounts on ground of any suspected crime. The Bank is the examiner of commercial bank accounts and not individual’s accounts.
“Obtaining ex parte order to enquire and investigate private accounts is certainly beyond its brief. What is the function of Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit?
“What expertise does the CBN have in investigating terrorism and other crimes? The Bank remains in recent times a meddlesome interloper in affairs that do not concern it. In my strongest view, I believe, all Nigerians must rise up against this power being arrogated to the Bank,” he said.
“There was a curfew that had not matured before attempt at dispersal of the crowd through firing, whether blank or no blank took place.
“They provided their own security, even while thugs allegedly sponsored by government attacked them. The attack of 20th October, 2020 at Lekki was certainly in my humble view unprovoked.
“These range from the premature and probable premeditated invasion, through the state-promoted miscreants to the economic suffocation and frustration of the people,” he added.
