EXCLUSIVE: Court freezes Fidelity Bank Account of Mars Aviation linked to Atiku’s son-in-law over alleged NNPCL fraud

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the temporary freezing of a Fidelity Bank account belonging to Mars Aviation Limited over alleged money laundering linked to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

The order was granted by Justice Musa Liman following an ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1299/2025, was filed on July 1 and moved before the court by EFCC counsel, Geraldine Ofulue.

Ofulue informed the court that the bank account is under investigation in connection with alleged criminal misappropriation of funds and money laundering, urging the court to preserve the funds pending the conclusion of ongoing investigations.

In his ruling, Justice Liman held that the application had merit and consequently granted the order, empowering the EFCC to freeze the account. Although the ruling was delivered on September 22, it has only recently become public.

The court further authorised the Chairman of the EFCC, Mr Ola Olukoyede, or any other designated officer of the commission, to direct the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank to immediately freeze the account.

According to court documents, the affected account — number 5250350283 (C03651082) — is maintained by Mars Aviation Limited.

In an affidavit in support of the application, an EFCC investigator attached to the commission’s Special Duties Committee, Abdulganiyu Olayide, said his team was assigned to investigate intelligence reports alleging irregular financial transactions involving NNPCL and Mars Aviation.

Olayide stated that the investigation was triggered by information suggesting that NNPCL made several payments to Mars Aviation for purported contracts that were allegedly non-existent and awarded in violation of the Public Procurement Act.

He added that preliminary findings revealed that substantial sums of money were paid into Mars Aviation’s Fidelity Bank account by NNPCL in multiple instalments.

The investigator said freezing the account was necessary to prevent dissipation of the funds and to preserve the integrity of the investigation.

“That I make this affidavit in good faith, believing the contents to be true and correct in accordance with the Oaths Act,” Olayide stated.

Meanwhile, there are reports that Mars Aviation Limited is allegedly owned by Abdullahi Bashir-Haske, founder and Group Managing Director of AA&R. Bashir-Haske is reportedly married to a daughter of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

In August, Bashir-Haske was placed on the EFCC’s wanted list over allegations bordering on criminal conspiracy and money laundering.

As of the time of filing this report, Mars Aviation Limited and Fidelity Bank had not issued official responses to the court order or the allegations.

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