Court freezes bank account of firm ‘linked’ to Atiku’s son-in-law over ‘phoney’ NNPC contracts

A federal high court in Abuja has ordered the temporary freezing of a Fidelity Bank account belonging to Mars Aviation Limited over money laundering allegations connected to Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

Musa Liman, the presiding judge, granted the order following an ex parte motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1299/2025, was filed on July 1 and moved by Geraldine Ofulue, the EFCC counsel.

Ofulue told the court that the account is under investigation in a case involving alleged criminal misappropriation and money laundering. She prayed the court to freeze the account pending the conclusion of the investigation.

Ruling on the motion, Liman held that the EFCC’s application had merit and accordingly granted the request. Although the order was made on September 22.

The EFCC had asked the court to empower its chairman, Ola Olukoyede, or any other authorised officer to direct the managing director of Fidelity Bank to freeze the account.

According to the motion, the account number 5250350283 (C03651082) is held by Mars Aviation Limited.

In an affidavit supporting the motion, Abdulganiyu Olayide, an EFCC investigator attached to the commission’s special duties committee, said his team was assigned to probe the matter.

Olayide said the investigation followed intelligence alleging that NNPCL had made several payments to Mars Aviation for purported contracts that were phoney and granted in default of the provisions of the Procurement Act.

He added that preliminary findings revealed that huge sums of money were paid into the company’s Fidelity Bank account by NNPCL in multiple instalments.

The EFCC official said freezing the account was necessary to preserve the funds and prevent any transactions while the investigation continues.

“That I make this affidavit in good faith, believing its contents to be true and correct and in accordance with the Oaths Act,” Olayide said.

There are reports that Mars Aviation Limited is allegedly owned by Abdullahi Bashir-Haske, the founder and group managing director of AA&R. Bashir-Haske is married to the daughter of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

In August, Haske was placed on EFCC’s wanted list over allegations of criminal conspiracy and money laundering.

Also, TheCable earlier reported that Bashir Bayo Ojulari, group chief executive officer (GCEO) of the NNPCL, has been a subject of money laundering investigations following the alleged transfer of millions of dollars to the AA&R Investment Group’s account.