The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered six banks to provide the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) with details of account documents and transactions linked to Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters.
Justice Emeka Nwite issued the order on Tuesday after hearing an ex-parte motion filed by the IGP’s counsel, Wisdom Madaki. The request sought access to Sowore’s financial records from January 2024 to date as part of an ongoing investigation.
According to the motion, Sowore is under investigation for alleged terrorism financing, money laundering, and fraudulent activities. Justice Nwite, in his ruling, described the application as meritorious and granted the prayers as requested.
The banks directed to comply with the order include United Bank for Africa (UBA), Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Zenith Bank, Opay Digital Services, Moniepoint, and Kuda Microfinance Bank. They are expected to provide account opening details, mandate cards, and certified statements reflecting both inflows and outflows during the specified period.
The police alleged in supporting affidavits that Sowore used multiple accounts—including those belonging to Sahara Reporters Media Foundation and the African Action Congress (AAC)—for suspicious transactions. They claimed intelligence reports linked the accounts to terrorism financing and foreign funding.
The court order clears the way for investigators to scrutinize no fewer than 26 accounts tied to Sowore, his media organisation, and his political party. The case is part of a wider probe into alleged financial irregularities.
