The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered six commercial banks to release full details of the bank accounts and financial transactions of activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, to the Inspector-General of Police.
Justice Emeka Nwite granted the order on Tuesday after considering an ex parte application filed by the IGP’s counsel, Wisdom Madaki.
The police told the court that Sowore is under investigation for alleged terrorism financing, money laundering, and fraudulent financial dealings, with at least 26 accounts linked to him now under scrutiny. The affected accounts include those operated by Sahara Reporters Media Foundation and the African Action Congress (AAC).
The ruling, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1757/2025, compels UBA, GTBank, Zenith Bank, Opay, Moniepoint, and Kuda Bank to furnish the IGP’s Monitoring Unit with account opening documents, mandate cards, and certified copies of statements of accounts from January 2024 to date.
In a supporting affidavit, police investigator Bassey Ibrahim alleged that intelligence reports traced suspicious funds to Sowore’s accounts, including inflows purportedly linked to foreign sources. He argued that access to the records was critical to advancing the probe.
Granting the request, Justice Nwite held:
“I have listened to the submissions of counsel to the applicant and carefully examined the affidavit evidence. I am satisfied that the application is meritorious. The prayer is hereby granted as sought.”
