By Adedapo Adesanya

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the temporary freezing of four Jaiz Bank accounts linked to the immediate-past chief executive of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mr Mele Kyari, over allegations of fraud.

Justice Emeka Nwite made the order on Tuesday after counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs Ogechi Ujam, moved an ex parte motion asking the court to freeze the accounts in the interim pending the conclusion of investigations by the commission.

The judge, in his ruling, held that the application was meritorious and accordingly granted same.

“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 September 23 for a report on the matter.

The anti-graft agency on August 11, 2025, filed the motion ex parte before the court to seek an order freezing the bank accounts because the accounts are owned by Mr Kyari.

The EFCC disclosed that Mr Kyari 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, Mr 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 Mr Kyari.

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 EFCC 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.

Mr 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.”

By Adedapo Adesanya

Despite a large entourage, including President Bola Tinubu, attending the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), Nigeria’s exhibition booth was left unmanned on Wednesday.

The exhibition booth, which is one of the ways through which countries around the world converse and speak with potential businesses and investors, was without any attendant at the event compared with other countries.

A Nigerian, Mr Idris Ayodeji Bello, attending the event as a private citizen, while writing on X (formerly X), said he had to step in to answer questions that the Nigerian public sector teams should be handling.

Business Post reports that President Tinubu, who arrived in Japan on Tuesday, is expected to hold bilateral meetings with world leaders and engage with top Japanese chief executives who have significant investments in Nigeria.

The three-day summit, scheduled for August 20–22 at the Pacifico Yokohama, is bringing together African leaders, development partners, and global stakeholders to discuss strategies for Africa’s economic transformation.

However, one of the first points of contact at such summits is the exhibition, and according to Mr Bello, Nigeria had the only unsupervised booth, so he had to step in as a makeshift envoy to answer questions about the country’s investment scene.

“I hate to show negative things about Nigeria but it is sad that Nigeria is the only unmanned booth at TICAD9 in Japan. Upon all the folks who probably got estacode for coming to Japan

“Only God knows how many Japanese folks have asked me about the unmanned booth seeing my dressing.

“So ashamed I have now designated myself as Honorary Consul and taken over the booth to engage visitors,” he wrote on X, accompanied by photos of the empty booths.

Soon after, Dr Ola Brown, a Nigerian investor and founder of Health Cap Africa, joined Mr Bello to answer the questions to curious attendees at the exhibition.

“Had an interesting time manning the Nigeria booth today with Idris.

“Unfortunately, the booth was left unstaffed by the Nigerian public sector team, but we still had engaging conversations with academics, private business owners, and NGOs who asked great questions,” she wrote in X, via her @NaijaFlyingDr handle.

Responding to a post about why the booth was unmanned, the investor answered, “I am not sure. But even Cape Verde whose entire GDP is less than Zenith Bank’s revenue had a fully staffed and decorated booth. Lesotho was fully staffed with a small economy than Oshogbo.”

Many Nigerians have taken to the platform to express displeasure at the lack of Nigerian public sector officials at the exhibition.

According to @DaMinister14, “It’s one thing for our anyhowness to be local – at least we will know it’s in-house. However, taking it to the global stage is embarrassingly sad. I mean I know I shouldn’t be surprised anymore but I just can’t help it. Anyhowness has now become a feature instead of a bug.”

According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Nigeria is using (TICAD9) as a springboard to expand trade with Japan, push for reforms in the global financial system, and consolidate its leadership role in Africa.

Speaking on the sidelines of the summit in Tokyo, Mr Tuggar stressed that Nigeria’s participation, led by President  Tinubu, signals its determination to forge deeper ties with Japan while also using the multilateral platform to advocate for Africa’s interests.

Nigeria exports large volumes of hydrocarbons to Japan, with bilateral trade currently estimated at $1 billion.

Beyond trade, Mr Tuggar said Nigeria was using the TICAD9 forum to push its long-standing diplomatic objectives, including permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Mr Tuggar said central to Nigeria’s agenda, is reform of the global financial architecture to ensure African economies can thrive.

“Unless the system is reformed to address issues like debt restructuring and rescheduling, Africa will remain disadvantaged. Nigeria, as Africa’s leading economy, must champion this cause,” he said.

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The honourees for the 2025 JCI Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) of Nigeria have been announced by the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Nigeria.

TOYP is a platform used to celebrate the achievements of young leaders and innovators across the nation.

At the unveiling of the nominees at a ceremony in Lagos held in commemoration of International Youth Day, the Representative and Chief of the Taiwan Mission in Nigeria, Mr Andy Yih-Ping Liu, underscored the pivotal role of young people in global development.

According to him, “Youth are not just the future, but are the driving force of innovation, creativity, and resilience needed to shape stronger societies.”

Drawing parallels from Taiwan’s development, he highlighted how investments in education, technology, and youth empowerment have been central to national growth and transformation.

He urged Nigerian youths to embrace leadership, entrepreneurship, and civic responsibility, stressing that their energy and ideas are indispensable in addressing today’s challenges and advancing sustainable development.

Mr Liu reaffirmed Taiwan’s commitment to supporting platforms that recognize and celebrate youth changemakers, such as the JCI TOYP initiative, describing it as a vital tool for nurturing leaders who will drive progress not only for Nigeria but for the world.

The 2025 TOYP honourees represent excellence across diverse fields and embody the power of youth leadership and innovation.

These individuals are recognized for their significant contributions across various fields: Aramide Kayode [Academic Leadership and Accomplishment]; Ifedayo Durosinmi-Etti [Business, Economic and/or Entrepreneurial Accomplishment]; Prada Uzodinma [Contribution to Children, World Peace and Human Rights]; Morenike Olusanya [Cultural Achievement]; Praise Akobo [Medical Innovation]; and Jumoke Dada [Moral and Environment Leadership]. Other awardees are Tobiloba Ajayi [Humanitarian and Voluntary Leadership]; Elizabeth Oshoba [Personal Improvement and Accomplishment]; Chinwe Okoli [Political, Legal and Governmental Affairs]; and Fisayo Fosudo [Scientific and Technological Development].

Delivering the keynote address on the theme Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Sustainable Development Goals, Ms Oreoluwa Finnih-Awokoya, emphasized the critical role of young leaders and changemakers in advancing sustainable development.

“The SDGs are not abstract concepts. They are concrete challenges and opportunities visible in our neighbourhoods, cities, and states. The role of changemakers within JCI underscores the profound impact that dedicated individuals can have at the local level. Through initiatives like TOYP, we see how local action fuels global change,” she said.

The aide to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu urged JCI members and young people across Nigeria to align their projects within specific SDGs and leverage partnerships with local governments, civil societies, and the private sector to strengthen impact and build stronger communities.

In her welcome remarks, the chairperson of the 2025 JCI Nigeria TOYP Program, Ms Yetunde Oyeyipo, described the ceremony as a platform to celebrate giants and inspire the next generation of leaders.

“Today, we have gathered here because of giants who came before us – dreamers, doers, and daring trailblazers who believed in the power of youth to shape nations and transform futures.

“Hence, it is our responsibility to serve as giants to other young persons and help them see further than their circumstance, environment, and resources would ever permit. Each of our nominees is proof that local action can fuel global change. They are living examples of transformational leaders who are not waiting for permission to act,” she said.

The 2025 President of JCI Nigeria, Ms Oluwatoyin Atanda, also reiterated the organisation’s commitment to empowering young people as the driving force of positive change.

“The TOYP platform is an opportunity to honour exceptional young Nigerians who exemplify excellence, courage, and innovation. Their legacy inspires us to continue to encourage, empower, and celebrate the transformational role of youth in shaping a brighter tomorrow,” she said.

The event also featured a panel session themed Global Youth Alliances – Breaking Barriers, Building Sustainable Bridges, where speakers shared insights on strengthening youth-led collaboration for long-term social impact.

One of the highlights of the event was the formal announcement of the global voting phase, as JCI Nigeria announced that the duo of Aramide Kayode (nee Akintimehin) and Ifedayo Durosinmi-Etti have been nominated on the global stage for the 2025 JCI Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) recognition.