NIGERIA: Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, issued an interim order to freeze four Jaiz Bank accounts allegedly tied to the former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, amid a high-stakes fraud investigation.
Justice Emeka Nwite granted the order following an ex-parte motion by Ogechi Ujam, counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Ujam argued that the ongoing investigation required time to finalize critical findings.
“I have reviewed the applicant’s counsel submissions, the affidavit, exhibits, and written address. The application is meritorious and is hereby granted as requested,” Justice Nwite declared, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The court adjourned the case to September 23 for a progress report.
The EFCC’s motion, filed on August 11 and marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1641, sought to immobilize accounts allegedly owned by Kyari, who is under scrutiny for suspected conspiracy, abuse of office, and money laundering.
The accounts include two in Kyari’s name (Jaiz Bank account numbers 0017922724 and 0017922724) and two linked to Guwori Community Development Foundation (account numbers 0018575055 and 0018575141).
According to the EFCC, the accounts are central to a probe into misappropriation of funds and breach of trust. The agency alleges that Kyari, leveraging his position, facilitated contracts and laundered illicit proceeds through these accounts.
“Preliminary findings show the accounts are linked to the suspect, who exploited complainants to funnel proceeds of unlawful activities,” the EFCC stated.
An EFCC investigator from the Special Investigation Unit, Amin Abdullahi, detailed in an affidavit that the probe stemmed from a petition by the Guardian of Democracy and Rule of Law, dated April 24. Abdullahi revealed that investigations uncovered N661,464,601.50 in the accounts, suspected to be proceeds of illegal activities.
“These funds were traced to Kyari, who allegedly used family members as fronts to manage the accounts,” Abdullahi deposed.
He added that transactions were masked as payments for a book launch and NGO activities.
The EFCC further noted that it had requested comprehensive account details from Jaiz Bank and issued a 72-hour no-debit instruction to preserve the funds pending the investigation’s conclusion.
“An order from this court is essential to maintain the status quo while we pursue justice,” Abdullahi emphasized, citing counsel M.A. Babatunde’s briefing.
The case continues to unfold, casting a spotlight on Kyari’s tenure at NNPCL and raising questions about financial oversight in Nigeria’s oil sector.
