Sowore Sues GTBank Over Five-Year Account Freeze, Demands N100 Million in Damages

Former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has launched a legal battle against Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) for freezing his bank accounts for five years.

In a suit filed by his lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, at the Federal High Court in Lagos, Sowore stated that the freezing of his bank accounts was not only illegal but also a violation of his human rights.

Sowore revealed that his bank accounts were frozen without due process by the bank, leaving him financially frustrated.

As a result, the human rights activist is demanding N100 million in damages from GTBank, according to the suit.

Sowore is requesting that the bank immediately unfreeze his accounts and pay the damages. Effiong described the account freezing as unlawful stating “the arbitrary freezing of my client’s accounts without due process is not only illegal but also a blatant violation of his fundamental rights.”

The suit reads, “A Declaration that the Respondent’s act of freezing and restricting the Applicant’s accounts with Account Numbers: (1) 0169510647 (Current Account); (2) 0169510867 (Savings Account); (3) 0169510850 (Current Account); (4) 0171422811 (MasterCard/Visa Debit Account Type) and Account Name: Sowore Omoyele Stephen respectively, all domiciled with the Respondent; Guaranty Trust Bank Ltd is unlawful, unconstitutional, null and void, and a breach of the Applicant’s right to property guaranteed by the provisions of Section 44 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Article 14 of the African Charter of Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act LFN 2010.

“An Order of this Honourable Court directing the Respondent to lift the restriction placed on the Applicant’s accounts with the aforementioned account numbers.

“An Order of perpetual injunction restraining the Respondent, whether by itself, its agents, privies, or servants, from unlawfully interfering with the Applicant’s accounts.”

Sowore is seeking N100 million as general damages for the unlawful freezing of his accounts, as well as the cost of prosecuting the suit.

He further said since 2019, his accounts have been rendered inoperable by the bank, with no formal explanation offered.

Despite several complaints, the Respondent has refused to lift the restrictions. A demand letter dated April 23, 2024, was also served on the Respondent, but to no avail.