General
Court Freezes Bank Accounts Linked to Ex-NNPC Boss Mele Kyari
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 Modupe Gbadeyanka
A new community recreational park has been commissioned by IHS Nigeria in Omole Estate Phase 1, Lagos, delivered within a four-month timeline through collaboration with the Omole Estate Executive Committee, the Lagos State Government representatives, and the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK).
The Head of Partnerships for LASPARK) Ms Temitope Okumuyide, said the project aligns with the agency’s mandate to promote healthy and safe environments across Lagos State.
“This park contributes to creating functional and enjoyable green spaces for the citizens of Lagos,” she said, thanking IHS Nigeria for helping in promoting a greener environment across the metropolis.
The chairman of Omole Phase 1 Residents Association, Ms Abimbola Osikoya, expressed gratitude for IHS Nigeria’s generous donation.
“In a city as dynamic as Lagos, spaces like this are essential. This park will serve as a place for relaxation, family bonding, healthy living, and neighborly interaction. The measure of a society is how it cares for its people, and IHS has demonstrated this through meaningful community investment,” she said.
Also, the chairman of the Titilayo Adedoyin Community Development Association, Mr Segun Fayemi, described the park as a landmark achievement, adding, “Out of the 18 sectors in this area, only mine has such a facility. I am the happiest man today.”
During the commissioning of the project, the Director of Sustainability for IHS Nigeria, Ms Titilope Oguntuga, described the project as more than infrastructure, highlighting the social and human value of shared public spaces.
“At IHS Nigeria, we believe infrastructure goes beyond connectivity and technology. It is about people and the environments in which they live, work, and thrive. Recreational and green spaces are critical to promoting well-being, inclusion, and stronger communities,” she said.
She noted that the presence of the IHS team at the event reflected the company’s dedication to the project and the host community, adding that, “The turnout today also shows our commitment and excitement to witness the commissioning of this park.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) has attributed Tuesday’s national grid collapse to a voltage disturbance at the Gombe transmission substation.
A statement issued by the system operator, while providing updates on repair and restoration efforts, stressed that the incident did not amount to a total system collapse, contrary to reports by some media organisations.
Recall that for the second time this year, the national grid recorded a disturbance that left all distribution companies unable to serve their franchise states. It followed a similar occurrence last Friday.
NISO said electricity supply across the affected areas has since been fully restored following immediate corrective actions by its technical teams, adding that the disturbance originated from the Gombe transmission substation before spreading to other parts of the network.
“The national grid has been fully restored, and electricity supply across the affected areas has since returned to normal.”
“The incident only affected part of the national grid, therefore not a total collapse,” NISO added.
“The event was accompanied by the tripping of some transmission lines and generating units, resulting in a partial system collapse.”
The system operator said restoration efforts commenced shortly after the disturbance and were completed within hours.
NISO disclosed that the voltage disturbance quickly propagated across the transmission network, affecting multiple substations.
The disturbance impacted power infrastructure beyond Gombe before stabilisation measures were implemented.
The voltage disturbance spread to the Jebba Transmission Substation, Kainji Transmission Substation was also affected, while the Ayede Transmission Substation experienced disruptions as the disturbance propagated.
According to NISO, although corrective actions were immediately deployed to stabilise the system and restore normal grid operations, some transmission lines and generating units tripped during the incident.
Nigeria’s power grid has continued to experience recurring disturbances in recent years, raising calls for alternative and proper power infrastructure in the country.
In 2025 alone, the national grid collapsed 12 times, with the last recorded incident occurring on December 29.
Tuesday’s incident represents the second grid collapse recorded in 2026, as well as the second in five days.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has urged the federal government to intervene and restrain the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) from renewing its enforcement of the ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small PET bottles.
The Director-General of MAN, Mr Segun Ajayi-Kadir, who made the call in a statement, stressed that NAFDAC’s action contradicted directives from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) issued on December 15, 2025, suspending the implementation of the ban.
Mr Ajayi-Kadir said the renewed enforcement also runs contrary to a March 14, 2024, resolution of the House of Representatives, which followed a public hearing with stakeholders, restrained NAFDAC from banning sachet and PET-bottled alcoholic beverages.
According to him, the conflicting directives from government institutions have created confusion among operators in the wines and spirits sector and are disrupting legitimate businesses, stating that sachet and PET-bottled alcoholic beverages were introduced to serve adult consumers with low purchasing power.
He added that smaller portions could help curb excessive consumption rather than encourage abuse.
Mr Ajayi-Kadir noted that locally produced sachet alcohol was manufactured under hygienic conditions and duly certified by regulatory agencies, including NAFDAC, warning that an outright ban could fuel the proliferation of illicit and unregulated products that pose greater health risks.
He also dismissed claims that the products promote underage drinking, saying such assertions had been contradicted by empirical research.
“We would like to further place on record that the untested assertion of abuse by minors as the basis for the ban has been debated by credible and empirical research that was independently conducted.
“The industry, on its own, has even gone further, notwithstanding the report of the survey, to initiate a series of campaigns in respect of responsible alcohol consumption to discourage underage abuse.
“This has so far cost the operators over a billion Naira in advertisements at all levels of media outreach across the federation.
“This has been very impactful in discouraging abuse by underage persons and has deepened the access restriction landscape,” he said.
Mr Ajayi-Kadir added that the ban threatened jobs, livelihoods and government revenue, while also encouraging smuggling and importation of unregulated alternatives.
He reaffirmed the commitment of MAN to working with regulatory agencies to ensure compliance with standards, while appealing to the Federal Government to direct NAFDAC to halt actions that disrupt members’ operations.
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