Why court freeze four bank accounts wey link to former NNPCL oga Mele Kyari
Justice Emeka Nwite grant di order on Tuesday, 19 August afta one lawyer to di Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ogechi Ujam, move ex parte application, and ask di court to freeze di accounts pending wen di commission go conclude dia investigation.
"I don hear from di counsel for di applicant and don go through di affidavit evidence wit di exhibits and address wey dem attach. I see say dis application dey worthy and I don grant dia request," di judge rule.
Justice Nwite later adjourn di case till 23 September for report di investigation.
Wetin we know about di case
On 11 August, di Nigeria corruption police bin file di ex parte motion wey dey marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1641/2025, dem say Oga Kyari allegedly dey control di banks accounts and e dey linked to offences wey border on conspiracy, abuse of office and money laundering.
EFCC say make di court give order to freeze di bank accounts bicos na di former NNPCL allegedly get am and dem "currently dey investigate di case wey involve di offences of conspiracy, abuse of office and money laundering pending di conclusion of di investigation."
Di affected accounts include Jaiz Bank account number 0017922724 – Mele Kyari; Jaiz Bank account number 0018575055 – Guwori Community Development Foundation and Jaiz Bank account number 0018575141 – Guwori Community Development Foundation (Flood Relief).
According to di Efcc, preliminary findings show say di ova 600 million naira ((430,000), wey dem suspect to be proceeds of unlawful activities, dey inside di four accounts.
For one supporting affidavit, EFCC investigator Amin Abdullahi say di commission bin act on one petition wey di Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law file on 24 April.
Di investigator say im be member of di team wey dey assigned to investigate di petition.
"Upon receipt of di petition wey dey for Paragraph 4 above, my team bin carry out several investigation activities wey include seeking and obtaining bank records from commercial Banks," e tok.
E tell di court say preliminary investigations discover say two of di bank accounts carry di name of Mele Kyari, while di oda two get di name of one non-governmental organisation, Guwori Community Development Foundation Flood Relief.
Di anti-corruption body argue say di bank accounts don become subject matters of investigation by di commission sake of misappropriation of funds and criminal breach of trust.
Efcc also tok say di preliminary investigation wey dem don carry out so far show say di bank accounts dey linked to Oga Kyari, and e dey use receive suspicious inflows from NNPC and various oil companies wey get dealings wit NNPC.
"Dat bank records further reveal say na Oga Kyari through im family members wey dey act as fronts dey control these accounts," e tok.
Abdullahi say dem trace di N661,464,601.50 inside di bank accounts to Oga Kyari.
"We trace these funds to Mele Kolo Kyari, wey be di former Group Managing Director (GMD) of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
"Further investigation show say dem disguise di transactions for di various accounts as payments for a purported book launch and activities of a non-governmental organisation (NGO)", e add.
I ready to account for my stewardship - Kyari
Oga Mele Kyari wey serve as di Group Chief executive officer (GCEO) of di Nigerian National Petroleum company limited (NNPC Limited) from 2019 to wen President Bola Tinubu dissolve di board and management for April 2025, don previously deny reports say im get hand for magomago activities for di company.
E bin deny say EFCC arrest am on top alleged misappropriation of one $2.9 billion, money wey dem wan take fix refinery.
For one statement e post on im X account for May, di 60-year old bin describe di reports as "clear mischief" wey di purpose na to spoil im reputation. E say im dey on "well-deserved rest" afta more dan three decades of service for di kontri oil company.
E say im ready to account for im stewardship:
"I must emphasize say I serve wit di fear of God knowing fully well as a Muslim say If I no account bifor man I go account bifor Allah, Therefore, having served in public capacity, I dey willing and happy to account for my stewardship for dis world". Oga Kyari post for May.
Oga Kyari case na part of one big investigation EFCC dey torchlight into di management of refinery rehabilitation funds.
Di investigation cover at least 14 current and former NNPCL officials, including two other ex-CEOs, Premium Times report.
Di commission don request emolument data of di officials, and according to reports, dem don trace ova 80 billion naira ($52million) go di personal accounts of one former refinery managing director.
Tok-tok pesin for EFCC Dele Oyewale wey confam di ongoing investigation to tori pipo, to say e involve di "funds released for di rehabilitation of di Kaduna, Warri and Port Harcourt refineries."
President Tinubu don since appoint Bashir Ojulari as NNPCL Group CEO and Ahmadu Kida as non-executive chairman, and e say make dem restore investor confidence and drive operational efficiency.
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