The Federal High Court in Abuja has approved the request of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) to freeze the bank account of a suspected terrorist leader, Usman Idris, for a period of 30 days.
The account, held at the United Bank for Africa (UBA), is being investigated in connection with alleged terrorist activities.
Justice Peter Lifu issued the freezing order following the DIA’s request, which was presented through an ex-parte application by the agency’s counsel, Barrister S. A. Aminu.
The lawyer argued that the account holder, Idris, has been linked to several serious crimes, including banditry, kidnapping, oil bunkering, and financing terrorism.
The application, filed under case number FHC/ABJ/CS/1145/2024, was supported by evidence of illicit arms purchases and requested a 90-day freeze on the account.
However, Justice Lifu limited the order to 30 days after questioning the lawyer about the duration of Idris’s detention and the progress of the investigation.
During the hearing, it was revealed that Idris had been in DIA custody since February 26 of this year.
The judge expressed concern over the length of time the investigation was taking, emphasizing the legal presumption of innocence and the necessity for timely legal proceedings. The judge also reminded the DIA of the legal time limits for holding a suspect without charging them in court.
Idris is among 20 suspected terrorists, including a serving police Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), who were ordered by the court to be detained for 30 days to allow the DIA to complete its investigations into the criminal allegations against them.
