The Federal High Court in Abuja has temporarily frozen a Fidelity Bank account belonging to Mars Aviation Limited amid investigations into alleged fraudulent dealings involving the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

Justice Musa Liman granted the order after reviewing an ex-parte motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The agency’s lawyer, Geraldine Ofulue, said the account was being probed for suspected money laundering and diversion of funds.

Court filings revealed that the account — numbered 5250350283 (C03651082) — allegedly received large payments from NNPCL for questionable contracts that violated public procurement laws.

In a supporting affidavit, the EFCC explained that it acted on intelligence indicating that significant sums were transferred to Mars Aviation for projects that never existed. The commission said the freeze was essential to preserve the funds and block further transactions until the investigation is completed.

The interim order, issued on September 22, stems from case number FHC/ABJ/CS/1299/2025, and will remain in place pending the conclusion of the probe.