The Department of State Services (DSS) recently secured a new order from the Federal High Court in Abuja to freeze 13 bank accounts linked to a suspected terrorist, Henry Okocha, as part of its ongoing efforts to combat terrorism within the country.
The accounts, which are spread across seven different banks, will remain frozen for 60 days, allowing the DSS to conduct thorough forensic investigations into Okocha’s alleged involvement in terrorist activities.
Justice Peter Lifu granted the DSS’s request after considering an ex-parte application supported by multiple exhibits. The order authorizes the agency to freeze the accounts for the specified period to facilitate the investigation.
In an eight-paragraph affidavit accompanying the ex-parte motion, the DSS accused Okocha of receiving substantial sums of money into these accounts, believed to be the proceeds of terrorism. After his arrest, Okocha was taken into DSS custody for further investigation.
The DSS’s attorney, Yunus Ishaku Umar, who presented the application, argued that the freezing order was necessary to prevent Okocha from using the funds for unlawful activities that could pose a threat to innocent lives. He further explained that the freeze would help the DSS identify other individuals involved and ensure their prosecution in court.
The ex-parte application, filed under sections 5 and 81 of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act of 2022, is referenced as FHC/ABJ/CS/1036/2024. The banks involved include United Bank for Africa, Guaranty Trust Bank, Union Bank of Nigeria, First Bank of Nigeria, Providus Bank, Palmpay Limited, and Resolut Limited.
While the DSS had initially requested a 90-day freeze, Justice Lifu granted a 60-day period, which will automatically expire after that time.
This latest order follows a similar directive issued against a suspected female terrorist, Aisha Abdulkarim, whose 20 bank accounts were also frozen for 60 days by the DSS.
