N661m fraud: Court freezes four bank accounts linked to Mele Kyari

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the temporary freezing of four Jaiz Bank accounts linked to the immediate past Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari, over allegations bordering on N661,464,601 fraud.

The presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, made the order after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) lawyer, Ogechi Ujam, moved an ex-parte motion to the effect on Tuesday, August 19, 2025.

Ujam had told the court that investigations were ongoing on the matter and that the commission would need sometime to conclude its findings.

Justice Nwite, therefore, held that the application was meritoriously and accordingly granted.

The judge said: “I have listened to counsel to the applicant and gone through the affidavit evidence with the exhibits and written address attached.

“I found that this application is meritorious and it is hereby granted as prayed.”

He, therefore, adjourned the matter until September 23 for report.

The EFCC had, in the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1641, dated August 8 but filed August 11, sought an order.

The commission prayed the court for an order freezing the bank accounts stated in the schedule.

It said the accounts are owned by Kyari, “who is currently being investigated in a case involving the offences of conspiracy, abuse of office and money laundering pending the conclusion of the investigation.”

These include: Jaiz Bank with account name: Mele Kyari; Jaiz Bank with account name: Mele Kyari; Jaiz Bank account with account name: Guwori Community Dev. Fnd; and Jaiz Bank with account name: Guwori Community Development Foundation Flood Relief.

The anti-graft agency said the application was brought on three grounds.

The EFCC saidthe bank accounts in respect of which the reliefs are sought are subject matters of investigation by the commission in relation to misappropriation of funds and criminal breach of trust.

The EFCC stated that the preliminary investigation conducted revealed that the bank accounts were linked to Kyari who took advantage of the complainant to be a contract facilitator and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities.

The commission added: “That there is need to preserve the funds in the identified bank accounts pending the conclusion of investigation and possible prosecution.

“That N661,464,601.50 which are suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities warehoused in four different accounts.

“That, these funds were traced to the suspect Mele Kolo Kyari, who is the former Group Managing Director (GMD) of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

“That the suspect opened various accounts in Jaiz Bank which has been used to receive suspicious inflows from NNPC and various oil companies that have dealings with NNPC.

“That bank records revealed that these accounts are controlled and managed by Mr Kyari through his family members who are acting as fronts.

“Further investigation revealed that the said transactions in the various accounts were disguised as payments for a purported book launch and activities of a non-governmental organisation (NGO).”