The management of Access Bank Plc, has explained why it froze the accounts of its customers linked to the recent #EndSARS protests across the country.
The Bank said in a statement, Friday in Abuja that it acted on the directive of the regulator, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which obtained a court order to that effect.
The statement read: “We want to express our sympathy for the inconvenience that eight of our customers are going through due to the restrictions on their accounts as mandated by a Federal court order. We are eager for this to be resolved as soon as possible.
“It is common knowledge that we and the entire banking industry are regulated entities and therefore operate under the authority of our regulators and law enforcement agencies. As such we are compelled to comply with regulatory directives.
“While acknowledging the concern of all well-meaning parties, we urge that enquiries and views be channeled to the relevant regulatory and judicial agencies where the matter is receiving attention. It is therefore surprising that some individuals still choose to target Access Bank in a negative manner despite not being the source of the action,” the bank said.
“Access Bank has always led the way with regard to support for young Nigerians in terms of capacity building and development of SMEs.
“We continue to be concerned by the inconvenience that our affected customers are experiencing. We stand ready to play our part to remedy the situation and have them using their accounts as quickly as possible.”