Senior personnel of 13 Nigerian
banks have been languishing in
detention in the holding facility of the
State Security Service (SSS) for
almost two weeks over allegations of
terrorist financing and money
laundering believed to have been
perpetrated by Aminu Suleiman
Lamido, son of Jigawa State
Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido.
Also on Thursday, Aminu and his
brother, Mustapha Lamido, were
arrested by EFCC over an alleged N10
billion fraud. They were arrested in
Kano and flown to Abuja Friday and
have since been under interrogation
at the commission’s headquarters.
The banks whose staff have been
picked up are Fidelity Bank Plc, First
City Monument Bank Plc (FCMB),
Wema Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc,
Skye Bank Plc, First Bank Nigeria
Limited (FBN), Sterling Bank Plc,
Diamond Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc,
Unity Bank Plc, Ecobank Plc,
Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (GTBank)
and Citibank. The SSS, which has
been on the trail of Aminu Lamido,
THISDAY learnt, had sought an ex
parte motion from the Federal High
Court, Abuja, to freeze the accounts,
in 13 banks, of Adold Engineering
Company Limited, believed to be
owned by the governor’s son.
A copy of the ex parte motion, which
was obtained from the court by
THISDAY, showed that order to freeze
the accounts was granted by Justice
A.F.A Ademola on November 6, 2013.
It stated: "An order is hereby made
freezing the accounts of the
underlisted corporate body and
financial institutions in the banks
(1st – 14th respondents) indicated
against their names for their
suspected involvement with acts of
terrorists’ financing and money
laundering.
"An order is hereby made compelling
the 2nd to 14th respondents (the
banks) in this case to deliver up and
furnish the State Security Service/
applicant in this case with the
respective bank statements and
mandate cards of the 1st (Adold
Engineering) and 2nd respondents
(Fidelity Bank) in this case.
"An order of the Honourable Court is
hereby made keeping the above listed
accounts frozen until the conclusion
of investigations.
"That the ex parte order of the court
made is to last for one month from
date of service on the respondents
with liberty to party(ies) to comply to
this court as they deem fit within the
said period."
The ex parte granted by the court
further showed Adold Engineering
operated the following accounts; in
FCMB – 11 accounts; Wema Bank –
one account; Access Bank – three
accounts; Skye Bank – four
accounts; FBN – five accounts;
Sterling Bank – three accounts;
Diamond, Zenith and Unity Banks –
one account each; Ecobank – two
accounts; while GTBank and Citibank
have one account each.
THISDAY further gathered that most
of the staff of the banks were either
picked up from their homes in
Gestapo style, at bank branches, or
were invited by SSS operatives in
Lagos, Abuja, Jigawa and Kano, and
whisked away to the SSS
headquarters in Abuja, where they
have been in detention for up to two
weeks.
In the case of one of the affected
banks, THISDAY was made to
understand that their Chief
Compliance Officer, GM Northern
Operations, Kano and Jigawa Branch
Managers, Chief Inspector, Head of
Treasury and Head of IT have been
the guests of the SSS for two weeks.
A source revealed that in one
instance, the SSS operatives went to
the homes of one bank official
wielding menacing Uzi machineguns
and ransacked the home, slit
mattresses and children’s clothes
during their search for documents.
What is most worrisome for the banks
is that none of the affected staff have
been given access to their families
and lawyers during the entire period
of their detention.
A Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
official who is aware of the
clampdown on banks by the SSS
said: "The situation is most
worrisome because these personnel
have been in detention for more than
ten days.
"Our laws provide that no one can be
detained for more than 48 hours and
if the SSS has a case against them,
they should be charged to court
instead of holding them for days
unend.
"We are also concerned that the SSS
lacks the capacity to carry out a
thorough investigation on financial
crimes of this nature, as the
Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC), which works in
conjunction with the Nigerian
Financial Intelligence Unit is better
suited to these kinds of
investigations.
"Besides, all the banks render anti-
money laundering returns daily to the
CBN and EFCC under an automated
system, so if the SSS had made the
relevant enquiries they could have
been furnished with all the details
they needed."
Another source in the banking
industry alleged that the clampdown
on banks goes beyond the allegations
of terrorist financing and money
laundering against Aminu Lamido, as
the dragnet is being expanded to
include Kano State and other states
governed by the G7 governors.
"We believe this goes beyond the
allegations against the governor’s
son. We are aware that Kano State
Government is the next target and
could also involve other G7 states. It
may be more political than anything
else," a bank official informed
THISDAY.
When contacted, spokesperson for the
SSS, Ms. Marilyn Ogar, confirmed
that the SSS was investigating
massive money laundering and
corruption alleged to have been
perpetrated by Aminu Lamido
through his company, Adold
Engineering.
She dismissed allegations that the
SSS was targeting the G7 governors
and the finances of their states,
stressing, "The SSS is investigating
massive money laundering and
corrupt practices. That is all I can say
on the matter. If the banks feel
aggrieved, they should go to court."
Another SSS source also informed
THISDAY that the security
organisation has a holding charge for
the bank officials until it concludes its
investigation. Aminu Lamido has had
a run in with the law in the past.
About a year ago, he was arrested at
the Aminu Kano International Airport,
Kano, for failing to declare $50,000
he had in his possession. He was
later charged to court for money
laundering.
Over N10 billion was allegedly
transferred from Jigawa State
Government accounts into the
accounts in which the governor and
his two sons have interest from 2007
till date.
EFCC is reported to have traced these
transfers to 10 companies where
Lamido and sons are directors and
signatories to the accounts.
Some of the companies linked to the
accounts include Bamaina
Alluminium Limited, Bamaina
Holdings Limited, Bamaina Company
Nigeria Limited, Rawda Integrated
Services Limited, Speeds
International Limited and Saby
Integrated Nigeria Limited.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/money-laundering-sss-detains-staff-of-13-banks-over-lamido-s-son/164482/

Banks should stop allowing themselves to be used as an agent of crime. If found culpable, these banks should be made to pay huge fines to the federal government.

Terrorists

hmmm, 3rd to comment. Gradually getting there.

I know First bank will surely be there when it involve illegal transactions.You can hardly see UBA in any form of illegal deal that is against cbn guidelines.

LAMIDO legally forced out of the so-called G7 by EFCC through corruption charges
Hahahahahahahaha, I de laf.
By december ALIYU ll be silent too, Ameachi is already a goner thanks to his monorail jamboree, the Kwara state guy is a huge joke.
Gradually they are falling one by one at the end we shall have G-zero.
Is JONATHAN still a retarded?
I de laf.

They are going to spend a long time in Jail for this one and their father will go in for it after he leaves government house.

Nigeria !!!..................Nigeria !!!.........Nigeria !!!........


I'm Scared of what u av become !!!



***And when this People Start to Campaign some peepz will be ready to die for them............***