metro
Court freezes Ex-NNPC GMD accounts over fraud probe
Court freezes Ex-NNPC GMD accounts over fraud probe
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the temporary freezing of four Jaiz Bank accounts linked to the immediate-past Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, over alleged fraud.
The ruling was delivered on Tuesday by Justice Emeka Nwite, following an ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through its counsel, Ogechi Ujam.
The EFCC argued that the accounts needed to be frozen to allow investigators conclude ongoing probes into financial irregularities allegedly connected to Kyari.
“I have listened to the counsel for 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 judge held.
Justice Nwite then adjourned till Sept 23 for a report on the matter.
On August 11, 2025, the EFCC filed the motion ex parte before the court to seek an order freezing the bank accounts because the accounts are owned by 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.”
In the affidavit attached to the ex parte, Amin Abdullahi, an EFCC investigator attached to the Special Investigation Unit, said the commission received and investigated a petition dated April 24 and filed by a group, the Guardian of Democracy and Rule of Law, against Kyari.
READ ALSO:
- China develops pregnancy robot to support families facing infertility
- How Gaza’s hospitals became a battleground against Israeli bombs
- 2027: Amaechi’s presidential ambition dead on arrival, says Wike
He said he was a member of the team assigned to investigate the petition.
“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,” he said.
He said the preliminary investigations found that two of the bank accounts carry the name of Mele Kyari, while the other two have the name of a non-governmental organisation, Guwori Community Development Foundation Flood Relief.
The accounts were listed as: “Jaiz Bank account number: 0017922724 with account name: Mele Kyari; Jaiz Bank account number: 0017922724 with account name: Mele Kyari; Jaiz Bank account number: 0018575055 and Jaiz Bank number: 0018575141 with both account names as Guwori Community Development Foundation Flood Relief.”
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 about misappropriation of funds and criminal breach of trust.
The anti-graft agency also said that the preliminary investigation conducted thus far revealed that the bank accounts are linked to Mr Kyari, who has been using them to receive suspicious inflows from NNPC and various oil companies that have dealings with NNPC.
“That bank records further revealed that these accounts are controlled and managed by Mr Kyari through his family members who are acting as fronts,” he said.
Abdullahi also said the investigation so far carried out revealed “that N661,464,601.50, which are suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities, were warehoused in four different accounts.
“These funds were traced to Mele Kolo Kyari, who is the former Group Managing Director (GMD) of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
“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 the response of the Bank is 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, while investigation is ongoing.
It also said, “That there is a need to preserve the funds in the identified bank accounts pending the conclusion of the investigation and possible prosecution”.
“That it is in the interest of justice to grant this application”.
Court freezes Ex-NNPC GMD accounts over fraud probe
metro
Mystery As AAU Lecturer Dies In Hotel After Meeting 21-Year-Old Woman
Mystery As AAU Lecturer Dies In Hotel After Meeting 21-Year-Old Woman
A senior lecturer at Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo State, Dr Matthew Uwuigbe, has died in a hotel room after meeting a 21-year-old woman, with police detaining three people as they investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
Uwuigbe, a lecturer in the Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science, reportedly died at a hotel in the Mosco area of Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area, on Monday, October 5.
The Edo State Police Command said it received a report concerning the incident at about 8pm.
According to the police, Uwuigbe had lodged at the hotel and engaged the services of the 21-year-old woman, identified as Angela Defa Jacob.
The police said the lecturer later asked the woman to leave the room and buy water for him.
When she returned, she reportedly found Uwuigbe lying lifeless inside the room and raised an alarm, prompting the hotel management to contact the authorities.
The hotel owner, manager and the woman were subsequently detained to assist the police with their investigation.
READ ALSO:
- Abuja: 33-Year-Old Nabbed While Writing FCT Promotion Exam For Father
- FG Releases Eight-Month Arrears After SSANU Strike Threat
- Yobe: 9-Year-Old Boy Burns Stepmothers, Brothers To Death In Revenge Attack
Uwuigbe’s remains were deposited at the Oriaifo Memorial Hospital mortuary, while detectives began investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.
The police have not disclosed the cause of death and have not accused the woman or any of the other persons detained of causing the lecturer’s death.
AAU confirmed that Uwuigbe was a member of its academic staff but clarified that the incident occurred outside the university and was unrelated to the institution’s official activities.
The university also clarified that the 21-year-old woman involved in the incident was not an AAU student.
The university’s spokesperson, Otunba Mike Ade Aladenika, described the incident as a private matter that occurred outside the institution.
The police are expected to establish what happened in the hotel room before the lecturer’s death and determine whether any criminal offence was committed.
For now, the circumstances surrounding the AAU lecturer’s death remain under investigation, while the three detained persons are assisting the authorities with inquiries.
Mystery As AAU Lecturer Dies In Hotel After Meeting 21-Year-Old Woman
metro
Abuja: 33-Year-Old Nabbed While Writing FCT Promotion Exam For Father
Abuja: 33-Year-Old Nabbed While Writing FCT Promotion Exam For Father
A 33-year-old man, Monsuru Musa, has been arrested in Abuja after allegedly impersonating his father and sitting for a Federal Capital Territory Civil Service promotion examination on his behalf.
Musa was reportedly caught on Wednesday, October 7, during the third day of the examination organised by the FCT Civil Service Commission at an examination centre within the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) premises.
Security personnel monitoring the exercise reportedly apprehended him during the test as part of efforts to prevent examination malpractice and impersonation.
During questioning, Musa allegedly admitted that he was not the registered candidate and said he had taken the examination because his father, Musa Mohammed, was unwell.
Mohammed is an employee of the FCT Fire Service.
The younger Musa reportedly told officials that his father was between 67 and 68 years old. However, when questioned separately, Mohammed reportedly said he would turn 60 in February 2027.
The discrepancy prompted further questions from the authorities.
READ ALSO:
- FG Releases Eight-Month Arrears After SSANU Strike Threat
- Yobe: 9-Year-Old Boy Burns Stepmothers, Brothers To Death In Revenge Attack
- 2027: Donald Duke Pledges To Bring Petrol Price Down To N300 Per Litre
Mohammed reportedly confirmed that Musa was his biological son and admitted that he had asked him to sit for the examination because of his health condition.
During the questioning, the father reportedly said he completed primary school in 1977 and secondary school in 1982. He also said he travelled to Portugal in 1991 and started working in 2007.
Both father and son were subsequently taken through further questioning and made statements to Department of State Services (DSS) operatives before being handed over to the police for investigation.
The authorities are expected to determine the circumstances surrounding the alleged examination impersonation, including whether anyone else was involved and what action should be taken against the individuals.
The incident has renewed attention on efforts to protect the integrity of FCT civil service promotion examinations, particularly as the administration continues to adopt measures aimed at reducing malpractice.
The FCT Civil Service Commission has introduced computer-based testing for promotion exercises as part of efforts to improve transparency and strengthen the assessment process.
The latest incident highlights the authorities’ scrutiny of candidates appearing for promotion examinations and the requirement that registered candidates personally participate in the assessments.
The police investigation is ongoing, and no final decision has been announced on the case.
Abuja: 33-Year-Old Nabbed While Writing FCT Promotion Exam For Father
metro
Yobe: 9-Year-Old Boy Burns Stepmothers, Brothers To Death In Revenge Attack
Yobe: 9-Year-Old Boy Burns Stepmothers, Brothers To Death In Revenge Attack
A nine-year-old boy has been arrested in Yobe State after allegedly setting his family home ablaze, killing his two stepmothers and two younger brothers in what police described as an act of revenge against his father.
The incident occurred in Rugan Badali, a hamlet in Karasuwa Local Government Area of the state.
According to the Yobe State Police Command, the boy had been accused of stealing a fowl and was subsequently beaten by his father.
Police said the boy allegedly bought matches the following day and set the family house on fire while his two stepmothers and two younger brothers were asleep.
The minor later confessed to the incident, telling Channels Television that he carried out the act because he was angry with his father for beating him.
READ ALSO:
- 2027: Donald Duke Pledges To Bring Petrol Price Down To N300 Per Litre
- Olu of Warri Denies N2.7tn Pipeline Deal, Demands Evidence From Dokubo
- BREAKING: NLC Shuts Down Abuja Indefinitely Over FCT Teachers’ Promotion Dispute
The boy reportedly said he initially shouted for help after the fire started but did not disclose that he had caused the blaze. He allegedly confessed three days later following prayers, after which he was arrested and taken to Damaturu.
The police subsequently paraded the suspect alongside his father, identified as Abubakar Idi.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Yobe, ASP Yusuf Adamu-Ali, said the suspect was a minor but would not simply be released, stressing that the case would be handled in accordance with the law.
The police spokesman also expressed concern over the incident, particularly because it occurred in a state still recovering from years of Boko Haram insurgency.
The case has raised fresh concerns about child behaviour, family conflict and the protection of vulnerable children, with police continuing to handle the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Yobe: 9-Year-Old Boy Burns Stepmothers, Brothers To Death In Revenge Attack
-
metro2 days agoTragedy Strikes FMC: Medical Director Loses Two Daughters—A Doctor and a Pharmacist—Within 48 Hours
-
metro2 days agoTransporters Urge IGP Disu to Arrest Illegal Highway Tax Collectors
-
Politics2 days ago2027: Soludo Govt Accuses Peter Obi Of Plot To Destroy APGA
-
metro2 days agoArmy, DSS, Amotekun Kill ISWAP Commander Planning Attacks in Southern Nigeria
-
metro2 days agoKidnappers torture abducted corps members, slash ransom to N100m
-
News2 days agoBREAKING: Many Feared Dead as Helicopter Crashes in Ondo Community
-
metro1 day agoOndo Air Tragedy: Soldiers, Families Among 32 Killed In NAF Crash
-
metro2 days agoGrand Chief Imam of Oyoland Urges Rabitah 1964 to Regulate ‘Yorubaland’ Islamic Titles