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A Federal High Court has ordered Fidelity Bank to freeze an account belonging to Mars Aviation Ltd. as Nigeria’s anti-graft agency widens an investigation into alleged sham oil-sector contracts.
According to a report by The Cable, Justice Musa Liman granted the request by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), saying the freeze would remain while investigators scrutinize large transfers reportedly made to the company by the state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd.
Court order seeks to preserve suspected funds
The EFCC told the court it is probing “phony” contracts said to have been awarded in violation of procurement rules. Investigators said millions of dollars were paid in installments to Mars Aviation and argued that the money needed to be preserved to prevent it from being moved while the case is still under review.
In an affidavit supporting the motion, an EFCC investigator said the funds could otherwise be dissipated, potentially frustrating the investigation. Liman agreed the request had merit and, on Sept. 22, authorized the agency to instruct Fidelity Bank to restrict transactions on the identified account.
Mars Aviation linked to Atiku’s son-in-law
Court filings and local reporting identify Mars Aviation as a company allegedly owned by Abdullahi Bashir-Haske, a prominent investor in Nigeria’s energy and aviation sectors. Bashir-Haske heads AA&R Investment Group and is married to a daughter of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a fact that has drawn additional political attention to the probe.
In August, the EFCC placed Bashir-Haske on its public wanted list on suspicion of criminal conspiracy and money laundering. He has not been charged in connection with the frozen account, but investigators say they are tracing payments linked to NNPCL contracts they believe were either inflated or never properly executed.
The Cable, an independent Nigerian news outlet that first reported the freeze order, also said NNPCL chief executive Bayo Ojulari has separately faced scrutiny over related transactions involving Bashir-Haske’s business network.
Investigation enters critical phase
The freeze order itself does not imply guilt. Such orders are a common tool in Nigerian anti-corruption cases, allowing the EFCC to preserve cash while it collects bank records, interviews witnesses and determines whether the payments were legitimate.
If the inquiry shows the deals were bogus or awarded outside the law, prosecutors could push for asset seizures and file charges. But if investigators find the payments were legitimate, the freeze is expected to be lifted.
