COURT FREEZES JAIZ BANK ACCOUNTS LINKED TO EX-NNPCL GMD MELE KYARI OVER ALLEGED FRAUD
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the temporary freezing of four Jaiz Bank accounts linked to the immediate-past Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, over allegations of fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering.
Justice Emeka Nwite issued the order on Tuesday after hearing an ex parte motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Counsel to the anti-graft agency, Ogechi Ujam, had urged the court to freeze the accounts pending the conclusion of ongoing investigations.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite held that the application was meritorious.
“I have listened to the counsel for 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 ruled. The matter was adjourned to September 23 for a report on the status of the investigation.
According to EFCC investigator Amin Abdullahi, the accounts were traced during a probe into a petition filed by a civil group, Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law, alleging misappropriation of funds. Preliminary findings revealed that two of the accounts were in Kyari’s name, while two others were operated under a non-governmental organisation, Guwori Community Development Foundation Flood Relief.
The frozen accounts are listed as: Jaiz Bank account number 0017922724 (Mele Kyari), Jaiz Bank account number 0018575055, and Jaiz Bank account number 0018575141 (both operated under Guwori Community Development Foundation Flood Relief).
The EFCC alleged that suspicious inflows from the NNPC and oil companies were funneled through the accounts and disguised as proceeds from a book launch and NGO activities. Investigators further claimed that N661.4 million, suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities, was warehoused across the four accounts and controlled by Kyari through family members acting as fronts.
The Commission argued that freezing the accounts was necessary to preserve the funds pending the conclusion of its investigation and possible prosecution.
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