Mele Kyari: EFCC’s High-Stakes Money Laundering Case Returned to Registry Amid Legal Setback

September 23, 2025

The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, is set to reassign the money laundering case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPC), Mele Kyari, to a new judge.

This development follows the return of the case file by Justice Emeka Nwite, who had been presiding over the matter during the court’s vacation period, which has now ended.

Justice Nwite formally announced on Tuesday that he would be stepping down from his role as vacation judge, which spanned from late July to 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 Mele Kyari.

EFCC alleged that the accounts are owned by Mele 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.