The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has placed a former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, on its watch list over the ongoing probe into the $7.2 billion refineries’ turnaround maintenance, Daily Trust can report.

This is just as the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday ordered a temporary freezing of four bank accounts linked to him over allegations of fraud.

Multiple sources at the EFCC told our correspondent on Tuesday that investigations into the activities of the NNPCL during the period Kyari held sway reached an advanced stage last month after his close associates were arrested.

Kyari’s associates had been interrogated on how some funds earmarked for the maintenance of the country’s refineries were managed.

It was gathered that documents and other necessary information had since been obtained by the crack detectives investigating how the fund meant for the refineries’ turn-around maintenance was used.

A highly placed official of the EFCC, who asked not to be mentioned, told our correspondent that the commission would soon invite Kyari for interrogation.

“I can assure you that we have even gone far with his (Kyari’s) investigation. Don’t forget that in criminal investigations, territorial integrity and territorial boundaries of countries have no effect on criminal investigations.

“This is because the anti-corruption agencies operate at the transnational level, whether somebody leaves the country or not, it has nothing to do with our investigations, because whenever we need him, we will get him, and he’s already on our watch list,” the official said.

Another EFCC source, revealed: “We’re investigating him (Mele Kyari) and our investigation has reached an advanced stage. How is it possible that we will not investigate him? When those around him are already being investigated!

“The fact that the commission is not talking about him is for us to be able to get some critical information. We are discreet about it because there are so many officials that are involved.

“It is deliberate that we are not talking about him. It is to assist us in our investigations and to ensure that we get the right report that we need.”

Efforts to get an official reaction from the spokesman of the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, were unsuccessful as several calls to his mobile phone went unanswered. He did not reply to a text message sent to him either.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had, in April, in a sweeping reconstitution of the NNPCL board, removed the chairman, Pius Akinyelure and the Group Chief Executive Officer, Kyari.

The GCEO was consequently replaced by Bashir Ojulari as the new CEO, effective from April 2, 2025.

Few months after Kyari’s sack, the anti-graft agency clamped down on top former officials of the oil firm including the Managing Director of the three refineries, in its bid to probe where the funds were expended amid refineries’ failure to function.

Justice Emeka Nwite on Tuesday, issued an order while ruling on an ex parte motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1641, which was brought by the EFCC and was argued by its lawyer, Ogechi Ujam, that the accounts be frozen.

Although the EFCC lawyer had urged the court to freeze the account for 60 days to enable it to conclude the ongoing investigation, Justice Nwite limited the tenure of the order to 30 days, which he said could be renewed if necessary.

Ujam had told the court that the temporary freezing order was necessary because the accounts were currently being investigated in a case involving the offences of conspiracy, abuse of office and money laundering pending the conclusion of the investigation.

She identified the accounts 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 with account name: Guwori Community Dev. and Jaiz Bank account number: 0018575141 with account name: Guwori Community Development Foundation Flood Relief.

In his ruling, Justice Nwite said: “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 judge then adjourned till September 23 for the EFCC to report on further developments.

Checks showed that the EFCC predicated its motion on three grounds, to the effect that the bank accounts are subject matters of ongoing investigation by the commission in relation to misappropriation of funds and criminal breach of trust.

It stated that the preliminary investigation conducted thus far revealed that the bank accounts were linked to the suspect, who took advantage of the complainant to be a contract facilitator and launder proceeds of unlawful activities.

The EFCC added that there was a need to preserve the funds in the identified bank accounts pending the conclusion of the investigation and possible prosecution,” it added

It stated, in a supporting affidavit, that officials of its Special Investigations (SIS) unit received a petition dated April 24 and filed by a group, the Guardian of Democracy and Rule of Law, against Kyari.

It said investigation so far revealed, among others, “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 have been used to receive suspicious inflows from NNPC and various oil companies that have dealings with NNPC.

“Bank records revealed that these accounts are controlled and managed by Mr. 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 (EFCC) has written to Jaiz Bank, where the four 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.

“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,” it said.

In June, the crack detectives of the EFCC nabbed a former Chief Financial Officer of the national oil company, Umar Ajiya Isa.

Similarly, a former Managing Director of the Warri Refinery, Jimoh Olasunkanmi, had also been held for days in connection with refinery repairs fund.

Ajiya, as the CFO, was in charge of release of funds for the turn-around maintenance of the three refineries and all the key officials involved in the maintenance.

Other officials involved in other key NNPC projects are being investigated for alleged abuse of office, corruption, diversion of funds and kickbacks from contractors.

The officials, according to the EFCC source, include the MD of Warri, Tunde Bakare; Ahmed Adamu Dikko, former MD of Port Harcourt Refinery and Ibrahim Monday Onoja, former MD of Port Harcourt Refinery.

Giving an update on Monday, one of the sources told Daily Trust that the officials were asked to be reporting to the commission regularly until the investigations are concluded. (Daily Trust)