Civil society group, One Love Foundation has called on the Federal Government to order the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and other commercial banks to obey the court order stopping them from the systematic defrauding of millions of Nigerians through illegal deduction of stamp duty from their accounts.
One Love Foundation also urged the government to urgently impress on respective parties of the need to respect valid court judgment, which outlawed such deductions, asking that the illegal charges, which had run into billions of naira be reverted into the respective customers’ accounts.
The statement by One Love Foundation was signed by Chief Patrick Osagie Eholor, Global President of the foundation in reaction to the recent court order restraining commercial banks from illegally deducting stamp duty charges from their customers.
Eholor argued that the refusal of the CBN and commercial banks to respect a valid judgment of a competent court of the land is worrisome, stressing that it amounts to contempt of court, and sustained daylight robbery of millions of bank customers’ deposits.
He further called on the CBN to respect the law and judgment of the court, and instruct the banks, through a circular, to stop the deduction of N50 stamp duty on customers’ accounts, and return several billions of Naira illegally deducted from bank customers to them up to date.
According to him, the refusal to stop the illegal deduction amounts to disrespect to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, disrespect to the court, disrespect to due process, and disrespect to Nigerians.
