The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted an order to the Department of State Services (DSS) to freeze 20 bank accounts belonging to Aisha Abdulkarim, a suspected female terrorist.
The accounts, spread across eight banks, will remain frozen for 60 days to enable the DSS to conduct forensic investigations into alleged acts of terrorism.
Justice Peter Lifu issued the order following an ex-parte application by the DSS, argued by its lawyer, Yunus Ishaku Umar. The application sought a 90-day freeze, but the judge granted 60 days, emphasizing the need for diligent and swift investigation.
“The law presumes the suspected terrorists innocent for now and, as such, must not be subjected to unnecessary hardships through the account embargo under the guise of whatever investigation,” Justice Lifu held.
The affected banks are Opay Digital Services Limited, Access Bank, United Bank for Africa, Guaranty Trust Bank, Union Bank of Nigeria, Moniepoint Microfinance Bank, First Bank of Nigeria, and First City Monument Bank.
A breakdown of the accounts shows that five are domiciled at Access Bank and Moniepoint each, four at Opay, two at UBA, and one each at GTB, First Bank, Union Bank, and FCMB.
Two other individuals, Yehusa Idris and Abdullahi Babayo Umar, have been arrested and taken into custody in connection with the alleged acts of terrorism.
The DSS’s investigation is ongoing, and the freezing order is intended to prevent the suspected terrorists from accessing their accounts and potentially perpetuating further acts of terrorism.