The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the freezing of 13 bank accounts reportedly linked to Henry Okocha, a man suspected of being involved in terrorist activities. The order was granted following an ex-parte application by the Department of State Services (DSS), represented by its counsel, Yunus Umar.
The affected accounts are spread across seven different banks, including United Bank for Africa, Guaranty Trust Bank, Union Bank of Nigeria, First Bank of Nigeria, Providus Bank, Palmpay Limited, and Resolut Limited. The court has directed that the accounts remain frozen for 60 days to allow the DSS to conduct forensic investigations into Okocha’s alleged terrorist activities.
The DSS, in an 8-paragraph affidavit, accused Okocha of receiving millions of naira into the accounts, which are suspected to be proceeds of terrorism. Okocha has been arrested and is currently in DSS custody as the investigation continues.
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During the hearing, DSS counsel, Mr. Umar, argued that freezing the accounts was necessary to prevent the funds from being used for illicit activities that could harm innocent Nigerians. He emphasized that the temporary embargo would aid in identifying and prosecuting those involved in the alleged terrorist activities.
Justice Peter Lifu, who presided over the case, granted the DSS’s request for a 60-day freeze, turning down an initial request to extend the freeze to 90 days. The case, filed under sections 5 and 81 of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022, marks another step in the DSS’s efforts to curb terrorism financing in Nigeria.
This order comes on the heels of a similar action by the Federal High Court, where Justice Emeka Nwite ordered the freezing of 32 bank accounts linked to individuals and companies allegedly involved in the #EndBadGovernance protests held across Nigeria between August 1 and August 10. In that case, the accounts were also frozen following an ex-parte motion filed by the Inspector-General of Police’s counsel, Ibrahim Mohammed.
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In another recent development, the DSS obtained an ex-parte order to freeze 20 bank accounts belonging to Aisha Abdulkarim, another individual accused of terrorist activities. These actions reflect the intensified efforts by Nigerian authorities to track and disrupt the financing of terrorism within the country.
The DSS is expected to complete its investigation within the 60-day period, after which further legal actions may be taken based on the findings.