The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday ordered six banks to provide the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun with comprehensive account documents and transaction records linked to human rights activist Omoyele Sowore from January 2024 to the present.
The transaction is to cover inflows and outflows, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
Justice Emeka Nwite issued the directive following an ex-parte motion filed by the IGP’s lawyer, Wisdom Madaki.
In the motion, the IGP stated that Sowore, the publisher of Sahara Reporters, is under investigation for alleged terrorism financing, money laundering, and other fraudulent activities.
Justice Nwite ruled that the application was meritorious, granting the police access to the requested financial information.
“I have listened to the submission of the counsel to the applicant, and I have also gone through the affidavit evidence,” the judge said.
“I’m of the view and so hold that the application is meritorious. The prayer is hereby granted as prayed.”
NAN reports that in the ex-parte motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1757/2025, the IGP named Sowore and Sahara Reporters Media Foundation as the first and second defendants, respectively.
The motion also included United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Opay Digital Services Ltd, Moniepoint, and Kuda Microfinance Bank Ltd as the third to eighth defendants.
Egbetokun sought “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 IGP, citing five grounds in his motion, stated that Sowore is under investigation for “terrorism financing, money laundering, and other fraudulent activities.”
He added that the complainant had already commenced inquiries into the activities of the first 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.
The applicant argued that the court should grant the relief sought to facilitate the ongoing investigation, warning that failure to do so could compromise police efforts.
In an affidavit attached to the motion, Bassey Ibrahim, a police officer in the Legal Section of the Force CID, claimed that his office received intelligence indicating that Sowore “is using the accounts for terrorism financing, money laundering, and receives financial support from foreign partners for terrorism.”
Ibrahim stated that the police needed the court’s order to access the account statements, which would enable the office to conduct a thorough investigation into the suspects’ alleged fraudulent activities.
The IGP affirmed that the respondents will not suffer “any prejudice” or be entitled to indemnity as a result of this application.
He deposed that the affidavit is in “good faith, believing the content to be true and correct in accordance with the provision of the Oath Act, 2024.”
NAN reports that at least 26 bank accounts linked to Sowore—including those of Sahara Reporters Media Foundation and the African Action Congress (AAC)—are currently under investigation.
