Human Rights Lawyer Calls for GTBank Boycott Over Four Journalists/Bloggers’ Prolonged Detention
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Prominent human rights lawyer, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, has condemned Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) for allegedly using its financial influence to oppress journalists and bloggers who published critical stories about the bank. Odinkalu accused GTBank of collaborating with the Nigerian Police Force to detain bloggers Precious Eze and Olawale Olurotimi since September 19, 2024, on charges of cyberbullying and conspiracy.
Indeed, the four journalists and bloggers, Rowland Olonishuwa, Precious Eze, Olawale Rotimi, and Seun Odunlami, are currently held at a correctional facility in Ikoyi.
In a series of tweets on December 28, 2024, Odinkalu alleged that since September 19, 2024, GTBank has been working with the Nigerian Police Force to detain bloggers Precious Eze and Olawale Olurotimi on charges of cyberbullying and conspiracy.
The bloggers have reportedly been in detention for three months, which is more than double the duration of pre-trial custody allowed by the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
Odinkalu accused GTBank of not seriously addressing the stories published by these Bloggers
He criticized GTBank for prosecuting the bloggers with a team of ten lawyers, including three Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), instead of addressing the issues and called for a public boycott of the bank.
He tweeted “Within 4 days, the @PoliceNG had finished investigation. The report of the investigation team led by Michael Abu, a Chief Superintendent of Police, #CSP, said explicitly that Precious Eze & Olawale Olurotimi should be “used as scapegoat.”
“There’s only 1 way to read these facts: @gtbank is using its considerable financial muscle to oppress & persecute poor bloggers so as to achieve a #ChillingEffect on civics. #GTBank forgets that we are also customers. If GTbank fails to stop this, citizens should stop banking wth it.”
A customer and tweeter user replied to Odinkalu and tweeted at GTBank accusing the bank, said: “Nigeria and it’s criminal justice system that allows a fraudulent Bank like @gtbank to use the instrumentality of the judiciary to intimidate, harass and prosecute impoverished and pauperized citizens.
“For the records and in very clear terms, @gtbank stole my money and has refused to return it to my account. @gtbank prefers to pay millions of naira to Lawyers and @PoliceNG officers than to return moneys it fraudulently debited from customers’ account. And the criminally unjust judicial system willingly enables such unjust treatment of citizens”, the GTBank customer tweeted.
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