The immediate past Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, is still feeling the heat amid his conspiracy, abuse of office, and money laundering scandal.
In a dramatic turn of events, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the temporary freezing of four bank accounts allegedly linked to him, pending the conclusion of investigation.
The order was granted by Justice Emeka Nwite on Tuesday after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) convinced the court that the funds in the accounts might be gains from unlawful activities.
Speaking via its counsel, Ogechi Ujam, the EFCC moved an ex parte motion, requesting time to wrap up its investigation into Kyari’s financial dealings.
Four Jaiz Bank accounts are currently affected amid the probe — 2 in Mele’s name and 2 others operated under the Community Development Foundation.
Investigators revealed that a minimum of N661.4 million has been traced into the accounts, suspected to be slush funds disguised as payments for a book launch and NGO-related ventures.
EFCC investigator, Amin Abdullahi, who swore to an affidavit, disclosed that the funds have been tracked back to transactions that involved the NNPCL and various oil companies. He alleged that the ex–NNPCL MD managed the accounts via proxies, including his family members, while retaining control of their operations.
Recall that the case began after a petition was filed in April by a civil society group, Guardian of Democracy and Rule of Law. The petition immediately prompted EFCC to secure a “no debit order” order on the accounts, which was supposed to expire after 3 days. To stop funds from being transferred, the commission eventually obtained the most recent freezing order from the court.
After reviewing all the proof presented before the court, Justice Nwite ruled that the agency’s application was successful, adjourning the case till September 23 for further report.
The latest ruling is a worrying one for Mele Kyari, who has managed to go from running the show in Nigeria’s oil industry to facing allegations that could potentially tarnish his image and legacy completely.
