Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has transferred the case file of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the alleged money laundering against the immediate-past Group Managing Director (GMD) of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, to the registry of the court for reassignment.
Justice Nwite, on August 19, fixed Tuesday for a report of compliance following an order allowing the anti-graft agency to temporarily freeze four Jaiz Bank accounts linked to Kyari.
The EFCC, through its lawyer, Ogechi Ujam, had, at the last adjourned date, told Justice Nwite, who was a vacation judge, that investigations were ongoing on the matter and that the Commission would need some time to conclude its findings.
Ujam made the application through an ex parte motion; she moved to the effect, which Justice Nwite, granted and fixed Tuesday for a report.
However, the suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1641/2025, which was number 10 on the day’s cause list, was not heard by the court as no lawyer appeared for the case.
The anti-graft case-file titled: “In The Matter Of An Application By The Executive Chairman of EFCC” with suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/1641/2025, had been transferred to the registry for reassignment, having been one of the vacation cases heard by the judge.
The Chief Judge, Justice John Tsoho, in his discretionary power, may transfer the case file back to Justice Nwite or reassign the matter to another judge.
The EFCC had, in the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1641, filed on August 11, prayed the court for an order freezing the bank accounts stated in the schedule.
It said the accounts are owned by the suspect (Kyari), “who is currently being investigated in a case involving the offences of conspiracy, abuse of office and money laundering pending the conclusion of the investigation.”
It said the accounts include: Jaiz Bank account number: 0017922724 with account name: Mele Kyari; Jaiz Bank account number: 0018575055 with account name: Guwori Community Dev. Find and Jaiz Bank account number: 0018575141 with account name: Guwori Community Development Foundation Flood Relief, etc.
The anti-graft agency argued that the bank accounts in respect of which the reliefs are sought are subject matters of investigation by the Commission in relation to misappropriation of funds and criminal breach of trust.
It also said that the preliminary investigation conducted thus far revealed that the bank accounts are linked to the suspect who took advantage of the complainant to be a contract facilitator and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities.
“That there is need to preserve the funds in the identified bank accounts pending the conclusion of investigation and possible prosecution,” it added
In the affidavit brought with the motion, Amin Abdullahi, an EFCC investigator attached to the Special Investigation unit, said the agency received a petition dated April 24 and filed by Guardian of Democracy and Rule of Law against Kyari.
Abdullahi said he was a member of the team assigned to investigate the matter and added: “That 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 investigator said it also included seeking and receiving corporate details from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in respect of the corporate bodies that featured in the case; inviting and interviewing persons and representatives of companies and persons who featured in the investigation; amongst other activities.
Abdullahi said the investigation so far carried out revealed, “That N661,464,601.50 which are suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities warehoused in four different accounts.
“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 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.
“The bank records revealed that these accounts are controlled and managed by 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).
“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 banks are being awaited, the Commission has written to post a no debit instruction on the accounts which will only last for 72 hours.
“I was informed by M.A Babatunde., 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.
“It is in the interest of justice to grant this application,” the official had deposed.