The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday ordered the temporary freezing of four bank accounts held with Jaiz Bank and linked to Mele Kyari, the immediate past Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), amid ongoing fraud investigations.
Justice Emeka Nwite granted the order following an ex-parte motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through its counsel, Ogechi Ujam. Ujam informed the court that investigations were still underway and the EFCC required time to conclude its inquiries.
After reviewing the motion, supporting affidavit, and exhibits, Justice Nwite ruled in favour of the EFCC.
“I have listened to counsel for the applicant and examined the affidavit evidence with the attached exhibits and written address. I find merit in this application, and it is accordingly granted,” the judge stated.
The matter was adjourned to September 23 for a report on the progress of the investigation.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the EFCC’s application—marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1641 and dated August 8 but filed on August 11—sought a court order to freeze the following Jaiz Bank accounts:
●Account No: 0017922724 – Mele Kyari
●Account No: 0018575055 – Guwori Community Development Foundation
●Account No: 0018575141 – Guwori Community Development Foundation (Flood Relief)
The commission alleged that these accounts are linked to Kyari, who is under investigation for offences including conspiracy, abuse of office, and money laundering. The application was based on three primary grounds:
•The accounts are under investigation for potential misappropriation of funds and criminal breach of trust.
•Preliminary findings show suspicious inflows possibly tied to contracts and money laundering activities.
•There is a need to preserve the funds in the accounts while the investigation continues.
In a supporting affidavit, EFCC investigator Amin Abdullahi stated that the commission received a petition on April 24 from the group Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law, accusing Kyari of corruption. Abdullahi is part of the Special Investigation Section (SIS) handling the case.
He detailed various investigative steps taken, including the review of bank records, requests to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), and interviews with individuals and company representatives involved in the matter.
The investigation, he noted, had so far uncovered suspicious deposits amounting to ₦661,464,601.50 across the four accounts. These funds were allegedly traced back to Kyari, with bank records indicating the accounts were used to receive questionable inflows from NNPC and related oil companies.
According to Abdullahi, the accounts were managed through Kyari’s family members acting as proxies. The transactions were disguised as payments for a book launch and NGO-related activities.
The EFCC said it had already instructed Jaiz Bank to impose a temporary “post-no-debit” restriction on the accounts, which was set to last for 72 hours, pending a formal court order.
The anti-graft agency emphasized that a freezing order from the court was essential to prevent the dissipation of funds and ensure the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
