The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) permission to freeze the bank account of suspected notorious terrorist Usman Idris for up to 30 days.
The account, held at the United Bank for Africa (UBA), will be frozen to allow the DIA to conduct forensic investigations into Idris’s alleged terrorist activities.
Justice Peter Lifu issued the order after approving an ex-parte application from the DIA.
During the proceedings, DIA counsel Barrister S. A. Aminu argued that the account holder is linked to numerous serious crimes, including banditry, kidnapping, oil theft, and financing terrorism.
The ex-parte application, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1145/2024, included evidence of illegal arms purchases and initially requested a 90-day freeze. However, following questions from the judge, the order was limited to 30 days.
The judge’s inquiries revealed that the suspect had been in DIA custody since February 26 of this year. The lawyer noted that the suspect’s confessions had led to additional arrests.
Justice Lifu questioned the delay in the investigation and reminded the DIA of the legal presumption of innocence. The judge also instructed the DIA to ensure the suspect is either charged or released within the legal timeframe.
It’s worth noting that the suspect was among 20 individuals, including a serving police ASP, who were ordered to be detained for 30 days to allow the DIA to complete its investigation.