Court freezes bank accounts ‘linked to’ Mele Kyari over alleged fraud

The federal high court in Abuja has ordered the temporary freezing of four Jaiz Bank accounts linked to Mele Kyari, former group chief executive officer (GCEO), Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, over alleged fraud.

Emeka Nwite, the trial judge, issued the order after an ex-parte motion by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Moving the ex-parte application, Ogechi Ujam, EFCC counsel, told the court that the commission needs time to investigate the accounts.

In his ruling, Nwite held that the application was meritorious.

“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,” the trial judge ruled.

In the ex-parte application filed on August 11, the EFCC sought an order freezing the bank accounts stated in the application schedule on the grounds that the accounts are under investigation over suspicious transactions.

The anti-graft agency said Kyari “is currently being investigated in a case involving the offences of conspiracy, abuse of office and money laundering pending the conclusion of the investigation”.

According to EFCC, the account details are Jaiz Bank account number: 0017922724 with account name, Mele Kyari; Jaiz Bank account number: 0018575055 with account name, Guwori Community Dev. Fnd; and Jaiz Bank number: 0018575141 with account name: Guwori Community Development Foundation Flood Relief.

The anti-graft agency said it is investigating the bank accounts in relation to alleged misappropriation of funds and criminal breach of trust.

GUARDIAN OF DEMOCRACY AND RULE OF LAW FILED PETITION AGAINST KYARI

The affidavit attached to the application was sworn to by Amin Abdullahi, an EFCC investigator attached to the special investigation unit.

Abdullahi said the anti-graft agency received a petition dated April 24, which was filed by an organisation named Guardian of Democracy and Rule of Law against Kyari.

“Upon receipt of the petition referred to in Paragraph 4 above, my team carried out several investigation activities which included seeking and obtaining bank records from commercial Banks,” the EFCC investigator said.

Abdullahi said the investigation so far carried out revealed that the sum of N661.4 million, “which are suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities, was warehoused in four different accounts”.

“That, these funds were traced to the suspect, Mele Kolo Kyari, who is the former Group Managing Director (GMD) of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),” the investigator said.

“That the suspect opened various accounts in Jaiz Bank which has been used to receive suspicious inflows from NNPC and various oil companies that have dealings with NNPC.

“That bank records revealed that these accounts are controlled and managed by Mr Kyari through his family members who are acting as fronts.

“Further investigation revealed that the said transactions in the various accounts were disguised as payments for a purported book launch and activities of a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

“That the Commission has written to Jaiz Bank where the accounts referred to are domiciled for the hard copies of the comprehensive account details.

“While responses of the Bank are being awaited, the Commission has written to post a no debit instruction on the accounts which will only last for 72 hours.

“That I was informed by M.A Babatunde Esq., learned counsel to the Applicant during official briefing at EFCC Headquarters, and I verily believe him that:

“An order of this honourable court is necessary to freeze the said accounts clearly described in schedule 1 to the motion paper for while investigation is ongoing.”

On April 2, Tinubu removed Kyari, citing the need for “enhanced operational efficiency, restored investor confidence, and a more commercially viable NNPC”.