EFCC’s money laundering case against Mele Kyari’s returned to registry for reassignment
The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Justice John Terhemba Tsoho is to reassign to another judge, the money laundering suit instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC against the immediate past Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Ltd, Mele Kyari.
This is because Justice Emeka Nwite, handling the suit as a vacation matter has returned the case file to the Chief judge following the expiration of the vacation period.
Emeka on Tuesday announced the decision as he formally stepped aside as a vacation Judge for between late July and September 16, 2025.
Justice Nwite, had on August 19, fixed September 23 for a report of compliance of an order he granted the EFCC to temporarily freeze four accounts in Jaiz Bank linked to Kyari.
EFCC lawyer, Ogechi Ujam, had at the last adjourned date informed Justice Nwite that investigations were ongoing in the matter and that the commission would need some time to conclude its findings.
But at Tuesday’s adjourned date, no lawyer appeared in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1641/2025 as they were said to be attending the Call to Bar Ceremony of new lawyers.
Faced with the situation, the Judge directed that the case file be transferred to the registry for onward transmission to the Chief Judge for reassignment to another judge of the court.
The EFCC had, in the ex-parte motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1641, dated August 8 but filed August 11, prayed the court for an order to freeze the bank accounts linked to Kyari.
EFCC alleged that the accounts are owned by Kyari who was said to be undergoing investigation in a case involving offences of conspiracy, abuse of office and money laundering.
The anti-graft agency named the accounts to include 0017922724 with account name: Mele Kyari; Jaiz Bank account number: 0018575055 with account name: Guwori Community Dev. Fnd and Jaiz Bank account number: 0018575141 with account name: Guwori Community Development Foundation Flood Relief.
