UBA Bank Refuses to Acknowledge Take-It-Back Movement Lawyers’ Letter, Blocks Bid to Unfreeze Account

The United Bank for Africa (UBA) has reportedly refused to accept the letter sent by the Take It Back Movement lawyers requesting the unfreezing of the movement’s bank account.

Last Friday, UBA had frozen the account of the organisation over its call for #EndBadGovernance in Nigeria protests.

The account was frozen on the instructions of Nigeria’s secret police, Department of State Services, also known as State Security Service.

In an equally pressing development, the Inibehe Effiong Chambers, a law firm headed by the renowned human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong, stepped into the fray, sending a formal letter to UBA Bank on behalf of the Take-It-Back Movement. The letter demands the immediate reopening of the movement’s frozen bank account.

The law firm threatened to take legal action against the bank if it fails to reopen the frozen account of the human rights organisation after 24 hours.

A source from the Take It Back Movement disclosed that UBA Bank authorities have turned away attempts by the pro-democracy group and its legal team to lift the freeze on the movement’s bank account.

“UBA refused to accept the letter from TIB Movement’s lawyers demanding that the frozen account of the organisation should be unfrozen,” the source revealed

The letter from the law firm reads, “We are Solicitors to Take It Back Global Ltd/ Gte, a corporate entity duly incorporated in Nigeria and hereinafter referred to as our “Client” and on whose behalf we write this letter.

“We have been informed by our Client that it opened the following account with United Bank for Africa: Account Name: Take It Back Account Number: 2109193911.

“We were further informed by our Client today, 26th of July, 2024, that it has been unable to access the above described account, the account having remained frozen by United Bank for Africa and rendered inoperable.

“Up till the point of writing this letter to you, neither United Bank for Africa nor any of its staff has offered any formal explanation in respect of the restriction on our Client’s account.

“In view of the above, we are by this letter demanding that you offer a well-detailed, formal and immediate written explanation for the freezing of our Client’s account within 24 hours of the receipt of this letter.

“Please take notice that in the event that you refuse or fail to comply with the above demand within the stipulated time, we have the firm instruction of our Client to institute necessary legal actions against you.”

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