The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the temporary freezing of four bank accounts linked to Mele Kyari, the immediate-past Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), following allegations of fraud.
Justice Emeka Nwite granted the order after listening to submissions from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), whose counsel, Ogechi Ujam, had moved an ex-parte motion.
“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,” Justice Nwite ruled.
The matter was adjourned until September 23 for further report.
The EFCC’s Case
In its ex-parte motion (FHC/ABJ/CS/1641), dated August 8 but filed August 11, the EFCC asked the court to freeze Kyari’s accounts pending the outcome of its investigation into alleged conspiracy, abuse of office, and money laundering.
The affected accounts include:
Jaiz Bank account number: 0017922724 (Mele Kyari) Jaiz Bank account number: 0018575055 (Guwori Community Development Foundation) Jaiz Bank account number: 0018575141 (Guwori Community Development Foundation Flood Relief)
According to EFCC investigator Amin Abdullahi, a petition received on April 24 prompted the probe. Investigations, he said, revealed that a total of ₦661,464,601.50—suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities—was traced to the frozen accounts.
The agency alleged that Kyari used multiple accounts to receive suspicious inflows from NNPC and oil companies, disguising them as payments for a book launch and NGO activities. The accounts, investigators claimed, were also operated through family members acting as fronts.
EFCC told the court it had already posted a 72-hour “no debit” instruction on the accounts and needed a formal court order to preserve the funds during its investigation.
Kyari’s Response
Kyari, 60, has denied wrongdoing. In a May statement on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, he dismissed the allegations as “clear mischief” aimed at damaging his reputation, insisting he was on a “well-deserved rest” after over three decades of service.
“I must emphasise that I served with the fear of God, knowing fully well that if I do not account before man, I will account before Allah,” he wrote.
Wider Context
Kyari’s case forms part of a broader EFCC probe into the management of refinery rehabilitation funds. The anti-graft agency has reportedly traced over ₦80 billion to the personal accounts of a former refinery managing director.
President Bola Tinubu has since appointed Bashir Ojulari as the new Group CEO of NNPCL and Ahmadu Kida as non-executive chairman, with a mandate to restore investor confidence and drive operational efficiency.
