The Federal High Court in Abuja has directed six banks to release the account documents and full transaction details of Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).
Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling on Tuesday, granted the ex parte application filed by the IGP through his lawyer, Wisdom Madaki. The order compels the banks to provide certified true copies of account statements, inflows, and outflows linked to Sowore and his organisations from January 2024 to date.
The affected financial institutions include United Bank for Africa Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Opay Digital Services Ltd, Moniepoint, and Kuda Microfinance Bank Ltd.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1757/2025, the IGP listed Sowore as the first defendant, while Sahara Reporters Media Foundation was named as the second defendant. No fewer than 26 accounts linked to Sowore and his organisations are reportedly under investigation.
According to the police, Sowore is being probed for alleged terrorism financing, money laundering, and fraudulent activities.
The IGP argued that securing access to the financial records was critical to ongoing investigations, stressing that the accounts were allegedly used to channel funds for terrorism and to receive support from foreign partners.
An affidavit deposed to by Bassey Ibrahim, a police officer attached to the Legal Section of the Force CID, claimed intelligence reports indicated that Sowore had been using the accounts to fund terrorism-related activities and other financial crimes.
Ibrahim maintained that the court order was necessary to enable investigators to trace fund movements and establish the scope of alleged financial misconduct.
Justice Nwite, while granting the request, ruled that the application was meritorious.
“I have listened to the submissions of counsel to the applicant, and I have also gone through the affidavit evidence. I am of the view, and so hold, that the application is meritorious. The prayer is hereby granted as prayed,” the judge declared.
The order now paves the way for the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit to scrutinise Sowore’s financial dealings over the past year as part of the ongoing investigation.
