The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the temporary freezing of four bank accounts allegedly linked to former Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Group Managing Director (GMD), Mele Kyari, amid ongoing fraud investigations.
Justice Emeka Nwite issued the ruling on Tuesday after granting an ex-parte motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to EFCC counsel Ogechi Ujam, the accounts domiciled with Jaiz Bank are currently under investigation for offences including conspiracy, abuse of office, and money laundering.
Details of the Court Order
The affected accounts include two personal accounts in Kyari’s name and two others operated under the Guwori Community Development Foundation, which investigators allege were used to launder funds disguised as NGO transactions.
The EFCC disclosed in court filings that preliminary investigations traced over ₦661 million suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities into the accounts. Investigators claim the funds originated from suspicious inflows involving the NNPC and oil companies.
The Commission stated that it had already directed Jaiz Bank to place a 72-hour “no-debit” instruction on the accounts, pending the outcome of the investigation.
Petition and Findings
An EFCC investigator, Amin Abdullahi, said the probe followed a petition filed on April 24 by the Guardian of Democracy and Rule of Law group. He explained that inquiries included obtaining bank records, reviewing Corporate Affairs Commission filings, and interviewing individuals linked to the transactions.
Abdullahi told the court that Kyari allegedly opened and managed the accounts through proxies, including family members, while disguising questionable deposits as proceeds from a purported book launch and NGO operations.
Justice Nwite, after reviewing the affidavit evidence, granted the EFCC’s request and adjourned the case until September 23 for further updates on the investigation.
