Female Terror Suspect’s Bank Accounts Frozen By DSS Under Court Order

Female Terror Suspect’s Bank Accounts Frozen By DSS Under Court Order

The Department of State Services (DSS) has obtained a Federal High Court order in Abuja to freeze 20 bank accounts allegedly linked to a female terrorist suspect, Aisha Abdulkarim……CONTINUE READING 

The accounts, spread across eight different banks, will remain frozen for 60 days to allow the DSS to conduct a thorough forensic investigation into the terrorism-related activities allegedly connected to the account holder. The order was issued by Justice Peter Lifu following an ex-parte application presented by the DSS.

The investigation also involves two other individuals, Yehusa Idris and Abdullahi Babayo Umar, who were apprehended by the DSS at separate locations. The DSS’s request for the freezing order was argued by their counsel, Yunus Ishaku Umar, who emphasized the necessity of the order to provide investigators with unrestricted access to the accounts in question.

The ex-parte application, identified as FHC/ABJ/CS/1036/2024, was reviewed during the court proceedings.

The bank accounts are held at Opay Digital Services Limited, Access Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Union Bank of Nigeria, Moniepoint Microfinance Bank, First Bank of Nigeria, and First City Monument Bank (FCMB). A detailed breakdown shows that five accounts are held at Access Bank and Moniepoint each, four at Opay, two at UBA, and one each at GTB, First Bank, Union Bank, and FCMB.

Although the DSS initially requested a 90-day freeze, Justice Lifu granted only 60 days, urging the agency to conduct its investigation promptly and efficiently. The judge underscored that the suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty and should not face undue hardship due to the account freeze.