The Federal High Court in Abuja has directed six commercial banks and financial institutions to provide the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) with detailed account documents and transaction histories linked to Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC).
Justice Emeka Nwite issued the order on Tuesday after hearing an ex parte motion filed by the IGP’s counsel, Wisdom Madaki. The motion sought access to Sowore’s financial records as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged terrorism financing, money laundering, and other fraudulent activities.
26 Accounts Under Investigation
According to court filings, no fewer than 26 bank accounts associated with Sowore are currently under probe. These include accounts belonging to the Sahara Reporters Media Foundation and the African Action Congress.
The motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1757/2025, lists Sowore and the Sahara Reporters Media Foundation as the 1st and 2nd defendants, while six financial institutions—United Bank for Africa (UBA), Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Zenith Bank, Opay Digital Services, Moniepoint, and Kuda Microfinance Bank—were joined as 3rd to 8th defendants.
IGP’s Request to the Court
The Inspector-General of Police sought an order compelling the banks to release:
-
Account opening documents and mandate cards
-
Certified true copies of statements of accounts
-
Complete records of inflows and outflows from January 2024 to date
The IGP argued that the accounts under scrutiny were being used by Sowore for “terrorism financing and money laundering,” stressing that access to the records was essential for ongoing investigations.
Police Affidavit and Allegations
In support of the motion, Bassey Ibrahim, a police officer with the Legal Section of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (CID), submitted an affidavit alleging that Sowore was receiving financial support from foreign partners to fund terrorism-related activities.
Ibrahim maintained that granting the request would not prejudice the defendants, but instead facilitate a thorough investigation into the allegations.
The Court’s Decision
After reviewing the application, Justice Nwite ruled in favour of the police.
“I have listened to the submissions of counsel to the applicant, and I have also gone through the affidavit evidence. I am of the view, and so hold, that the application is meritorious. The prayer is hereby granted as prayed,” the judge declared.
With the ruling, the six financial institutions are now legally obligated to furnish the IGP with all requested documents to aid in the investigation.
All content, materials, and publications on Elawyer Nigeria’s platform including but not limited to articles, reports, analyses, images, videos, and graphics are the exclusive property of Elawyer Nigeria and are protected under applicable copyright and intellectual property laws.
No part of this content may be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, transmitted, or distributed in any form or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Elawyer Nigeria.
Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution of any content from this platform may result in civil and/or criminal liability under Nigerian law and applicable international treaties.
For permissions, inquiries, or licensing requests, please contact: admin@elawyernigeria.com
© 2025 Elawyer Nigeria. All rights reserved.
