A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the temporary freezing of four Jaiz Bank accounts linked to Mele Kolo Kyari, former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), amid an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigation into alleged fraud, conspiracy, abuse of office, and money laundering.
Justice Emeka Nwite issued the 30-day order on Tuesday, August 19, following an ex parte motion (FHC/ABJ/CS/1641) presented by EFCC lawyer Ogechi Ujam.
The affected accounts include Jaiz Bank account numbers 0017922724 (Mele Kyari), 0017922724 (Mele Kyari), 0018575055 (Guwori Community Dev.), and 0018575141 (Guwori Community Development Foundation Flood Relief).
The EFCC sought a 60-day freeze but Justice Nwite granted 30 days, renewable if needed, adjourning the case to September 23 for updates.
The EFCC’s motion, backed by a petition from the Guardian of Democracy and Rule of Law dated April 24, alleges that N661,464,601.50 in the accounts are proceeds of unlawful activities.
The commission claims Kyari, using family members as fronts, laundered funds disguised as payments for a book launch and NGO activities.
Bank records reportedly show suspicious inflows from NNPCL and related oil companies.
Ujam argued that freezing the accounts is crucial to preserve the funds pending the investigation’s conclusion and potential prosecution.
The EFCC has requested comprehensive account details from Jaiz Bank and issued a 72-hour no-debit instruction, necessitating the court’s order to extend the freeze.
Justice Nwite, finding the application meritorious, granted the request, emphasizing the need to support the ongoing probe into misappropriation and criminal breach of trust.
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