JUST IN: Court freezes Ex-NNPC GMD, Mele Kyari’s Bank Accounts as Fraud Probe widens

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the temporary freezing of four bank accounts linked to Mele Kyari, the former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC). The court's decision came after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that the accounts are tied to an ongoing fraud investigation.

The EFCC sought the freeze to allow time to conclude its probe into the matter. Justice Emeka Nwite granted the motion, stating that the evidence presented by the EFCC was meritorious.

The court filing revealed that the accounts, held at Jaiz Bank, are under investigation for alleged conspiracy, abuse of office, misappropriation of funds, and money laundering. The EFCC investigator disclosed that suspicious transactions, including disguised payments for book launch activities, were traced to the accounts controlled by Kyari and his family members.

The court ordered the affected accounts to remain frozen until the next hearing on September 23.