Court Orders Banks To Produce Activist Sowore’s Account Transactions

Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered six commercial banks to provide the inspector-general of police (IGP) with information pertaining to the bank accounts connected to activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore.

The court gave the order on Tuesday following an ex-parte application moved by Wisdom Madaki, counsel to the IGP.

The defendants in the suit are Sowore, Sahara Reporters Media Foundation, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Opay Digital Services Ltd, Moniepoint, and Kuda Microfinance Bank Ltd.

In the case, the IGP told the court that Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in 2023 election cycleand, “is being investigated for terrorism financing, money laundering and fraudulent activities.”

“An order directing the following banks; UBA Plc, GTB plc, ZENITH Bank Plc, Opay Digital Services Limited, Moniepoint and Kuda Microfinance Bank Limited to furnished the applicant through the office of the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit account opening package/mandate card, certified true copy of the statement of account reflecting transfers with account numbers of both inflows and outflows from January, 2024 till date,” the order read.

The IGP said, “That the complainant had commenced investigation in the activities of the 1st respondent.

“That the accounts seeking to obtain the statement of accounts are the accounts which the 1st respondent is using for terrorism financing and money laundering.”

The IGP said if the court did not grant the request, it would jeopardise police investigation.

The affidavit attached to the application was sworn to by Bassey Ibrahim, a police officer in the legal section of the force criminal investigation department (CID).

Ibrahim alleged that his office received an intelligence report that Sowore “is using the accounts for terrorism financing, money laundering and receives financial support from foreign partner for terrorism.”