Details as court freezes bank accounts linked to ex-NNPC GMD Kyari over alleged fraud

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the temporary freezing of four bank accounts linked to the immediate past Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, following fresh allegations of corruption, conspiracy, and money laundering.

Justice Emeka Nwite issued the order on Tuesday after hearing an ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The anti-graft agency told the court that the accounts, domiciled in Jaiz Bank, contained funds suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

According to EFCC investigator Amin Abdullahi, about ₦661,464,601.50 was traced to four different accounts allegedly controlled by Kyari through family members and foundations acting as fronts.

The accounts include:

Jaiz Bank account number 0017922724 in Kyari’s name.

Jaiz Bank account number 0018575055 belonging to Guwori Community Development Foundation.

Jaiz Bank account number 0018575141 also belonging to Guwori Community Development Foundation Flood Relief.

The EFCC said preliminary findings revealed suspicious inflows from the NNPC and various oil companies, with the funds allegedly laundered through charities and relatives.

The investigation began after the Guardian of Democracy and Rule of Law, a civil society group, submitted a petition to the EFCC on April 24, accusing Kyari of abusing his office for personal enrichment.

The commission said it obtained bank records, corporate filings from the Corporate Affairs Commission, and conducted interviews with associates of Kyari. The evidence, it argued, showed patterns of misappropriation of funds, criminal breach of trust, and abuse of office.

Justice Nwite, in his ruling, said the EFCC had shown sufficient grounds for the application.

“I have listened to counsel to the applicant and gone through the affidavit evidence with the exhibits and written address attached. I find that this application is meritorious and it is hereby granted as prayed,” he said.

The matter was adjourned until September 23 to allow the EFCC to conclude its investigation and report back to the court.

Mele Kyari, who stepped down as GMD of NNPCL in 2024 after nearly five years in charge, had often been hailed as a reformist who oversaw the controversial transformation of NNPC into a commercial entity. However, his tenure was frequently dogged by allegations of corruption, opaque oil deals, and manipulation of crude sales.

Analysts say the current case could be one of the most significant corruption probes against a former head of Nigeria’s state oil company, which has long been regarded as a cesspool of graft.

Critics have accused Kyari of exploiting NNPC’s discretionary control over oil contracts to build personal networks of influence. Civil society groups have also alleged that community development foundations linked to him were routinely used to divert public funds under the guise of corporate social responsibility.

The freezing order suggests investigators are now following the money trail, focusing on how revenues meant for national development were allegedly diverted into private pockets.

If the EFCC secures sufficient evidence, Kyari could face criminal charges ranging from money laundering to abuse of office, a development that may trigger wider scrutiny of contracts awarded under his leadership at the NNPCL.