DSS gets court order to freeze 20 bank accounts of female suspected terrorist

The Department of State Services (DSS) has secured an order from the Federal High Court in Abuja to freeze 20 different bank accounts linked to a suspected female terrorist, Aisha Abdulkarim.

The accounts, domiciled in eight different banks, are to remain frozen for a period of 60 days to enable the secret police to carry out forensic investigations into the alleged acts of terrorism by the bank account operator.

Justice Peter Lifu issued the order for the freezing of the accounts following an ex-parte application brought and argued before him by the DSS.

Also linked with the alleged acts of terrorism are Yehusa Idris and Abdullahi Babayo Umar, who have been taken into custody by the security agency following their arrest in different locations.

The DSS’s ex-parte application was argued by its lawyer, Yunus Ishaku Umar, who informed Justice Lifu that the freezing order was needed by the DSS to enable its investigators to have unhindered access to the eight banks where the accounts are domiciled.

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A copy of the ex-parte application, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1036/2024, was sighted by our correspondent during the proceedings.

The banks where the accounts are domiciled are Opay Digital Services Limited, Access Bank, United Bank for Africa, Guaranty Trust Bank, Union Bank of Nigeria, Moniepoint Microfinance Bank, First Bank of Nigeria, and First City Monument Bank.

A breakdown of the accounts showed that five are domiciled at Access Bank and Moniepoint each, four at Opay, two at UBA, while GTB, First Bank, Union Bank, and FCMB have one each domiciled in their care.

Although the DSS requested 90 days to embargo the accounts, Justice Lifu only granted 60 days, with a charge to the security agency to be diligent and fast-track its investigation.

The judge held that the law presumes the suspected terrorists innocent for now and, as such, must not be subjected to unnecessary hardships through the account embargo under the guise of whatever investigation.