Nigerian commercial banks could shut down operations national wide in protest over the detention of top bankers of some lenders by the Department of State Services (DSS) over money laundering allegations.

Senior personnel of 18 Nigerian banks have been held for almost two weeks accused of terrorist financing and money laundering, a Vanguard story on AllAfrica said.

The arrest and detention of the officers was generating panic and furor in banking quarters following over two weeks arrest and detention without charges brought against the concerned bankers.

The banks who have been affected include are Fidelity Bank, First City Monument Bank, Wema Bank, Access Bank, Skye Bank, First Bank Nigeria, FBN, Sterling Bank, Diamond Bank, Zenith Bank, Unity Bank, Ecobank, Guaranty Trust Bank, GTBank, and Citibank.

The DSS has also sought for an order from the Federal High Court, Abuja, to freeze the accounts, in 13 banks, of Adold Engineering Company Limited, believed to be owned by a governor’s son. The court granted the DSS permission to freeze the account on November 6.

Commercial banks said that the DSS had no capacity to analyze daily information on money laundering sent to it.

A bank chief Executive, who wished to remain anonymous, said that some f the affected banks, the chief inspectors were picked. According to the bank executive DSS officials visited the head office of one of the affected banks last week under the guise of inviting the officials to their Lagos office, but unknown to them they were flown in military aircraft to Abuja.

The bank officials have not been seen since.