Court Orders Freeze of Jaiz Bank Accounts Tied to Ex‑NNPCL GMD Mele Kyari Over Alleged Fraud
The Federal High Court, Abuja Division, presided over by Honourable Justice Emeka Nwite, has issued an interim order freezing four accounts domiciled with Jaiz Bank and linked to Mele Kyari, the immediate past Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), over allegations bordering on conspiracy, abuse of office, money laundering, and related fraud offences.
The order was granted upon an ex‑parte application brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), through its counsel, Ogechi Ujam, who submitted that ongoing investigations necessitated urgent preservation of the funds pending conclusion of enquiries.
Counsel informed the court that preliminary findings suggested the accounts in question were directly connected to suspicious financial inflows traceable to Kyari’s tenure and linked entities.
In delivering his ruling, Justice Nwite stated that he had carefully reviewed the application, affidavit evidence, attached exhibits, and written address of counsel, and found merit in the request. He accordingly granted the freezing order as prayed.
The matter was adjourned to 23 September for the EFCC to provide a report on the progress of its investigation.
Court records show that the ex‑parte motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1641 and dated 8 August 2025 (filed on 11 August 2025), specifically sought to restrain any operation of the affected accounts during the investigation.
The schedule to the motion listed the following accounts: Jaiz Bank account no. 0017922724 in the name of Mele Kyari; account no. 0018575055 in the name of Guwori Community Development Foundation; and account no. 0018575141 in the name of Guwori Community Development Foundation Flood Relief.
The EFCC contended that these accounts are the subject of a wider probe into misappropriation of funds and criminal breach of trust, with intelligence indicating they were used to launder proceeds of unlawful activities under the guise of legitimate transactions.
In a supporting affidavit, EFCC investigator Amin Abdullahi, of the Special Investigation Section (SIS), deposed that the agency received a petition on 24 April 2025 from the Guardian of Democracy and Rule of Law, alleging financial misconduct against Kyari.
According to the deposition, investigative steps taken so far included obtaining bank statements, retrieving corporate filings from the Corporate Affairs Commission, and interviewing relevant individuals and company representatives implicated in the suspected scheme.
Preliminary analysis allegedly revealed deposits totalling ₦661,464,601.50 suspected to be illicit funds, warehoused in the four accounts linked to Kyari.
The EFCC maintains that the accounts were used to receive funds from the NNPCL and various oil companies with business dealings with the corporation, with control exercised through family members acting as proxies. Some transactions were reportedly disguised as proceeds from a book launch and NGO‑related activities.
While awaiting hard‑copy account records from Jaiz Bank, the EFCC obtained a 72‑hour “post‑no‑debit” administrative restriction, which necessitated the present application to secure judicial authority for continued freezing of the accounts during investigation and potential prosecution.
In May, Kyari dismissed such allegations as mischievous attempts to tarnish his image, asserting his readiness to account for his stewardship. His case reportedly forms part of a broader EFCC investigation into refinery rehabilitation funds, with over ₦80 billion allegedly traced to personal accounts of a former refinery MD.
