Lukman Adebowale Bello, a Lagos businessman and hotelier, has secured a court order directing the immediate removal of Post No Debit (PND) restrictions placed on his bank accounts and those of his company, Adebel Hotels & Suites Limited, by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The ruling came in response to a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Bello through his lawyer, Mr. Adebayo Onifade, challenging what he described as the unlawful and prolonged freeze of his personal and business accounts.
According to court filings, NDLEA operatives had stormed Adebel Hotels on March 3, 2023, searching for a guest named Obinna, who was allegedly connected to illicit drugs. Officers reportedly discovered 1.5 grams of suspected narcotics in a staff lounge known as “Canada.” Obinna, who had been released on bail, later absconded and has since remained untraceable.
Following the incident, Lukman Adebowale Bello’s accounts with Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank), Palmpay, and Wema Bank were frozen without prior notice—crippling both his hotel operations and private financial activities.
After months of legal proceedings and the anticipated withdrawal of criminal charges, Justice Lewis Allagoa granted Bello’s request. The court ordered the unfreezing of the following accounts:
GTBank Savings Account No: 013165340 (Lukman Adebowale Bello)
Palmpay Account No: 98064826784 (Lukman Adebowale Bello)
Wema Bank Account No: 0123826294 (Adebel Hotels & Suites)
The judge further discharged and acquitted Bello, officially terminating the NDLEA’s case against him.
However, GTBank has filed a fresh application urging the court to set aside the order as it relates to its account, citing an error in the account number.
In a sworn affidavit, the bank disclosed that the order referenced a nine-digit number instead of the standard ten-digit format required to process transactions, rendering it impossible to identify or act on the specified account in its system.
GTBank stated it only became aware of the order on June 25, 2025, upon receiving correspondence from Bello’s legal representatives, which included the enrolment of the court order. Due to the numbering error, the bank said it could not verify or lift the freeze and is now requesting a corrected version of the court order.
The case is expected to return to court for clarification and potential amendment of the enrolment document.
