Atiku’s Family In Spotlight: Firm Owned By Son-In-Law Caught In EFCC Money Laundering Net

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the temporary freezing of a Fidelity Bank account belonging to Mars Aviation Limited amid allegations of money laundering and questionable financial dealings connected to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

Justice Musa Liman issued the order after considering an ex parte motion presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1299/2025, was filed on July 1 and argued by EFCC counsel, Geraldine Ofulue.

According to Ireporter Online, Ofulue informed the court that the account was being investigated for suspected money laundering and criminal misappropriation. She urged the court to restrict all transactions until the ongoing probe was concluded.

Delivering his ruling on September 22, Justice Liman agreed that the EFCC’s application had merit. He subsequently granted authority to the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, or any authorised officer, to instruct the managing director of Fidelity Bank to freeze the account pending the outcome of the investigation.

Court filings revealed that the account in question, numbered 5250350283 (C03651082), is operated by Mars Aviation Limited. An affidavit filed by EFCC investigator Abdulganiyu Olayide stated that his team began probing the firm following intelligence reports suggesting that NNPCL made several suspicious payments to Mars Aviation for “purported contracts” allegedly in violation of the Procurement Act.

Preliminary findings, according to the EFCC, indicated that significant sums were deposited into the company’s Fidelity Bank account in multiple tranches. Olayide told the court that freezing the account was necessary to safeguard the funds and maintain the integrity of the ongoing investigation.

Reports indicate that Mars Aviation Limited is owned by Abdullahi Bashir Haske, the founder and group managing director of AA&R, who is married to one of the daughters of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

In August, the EFCC declared Haske wanted for alleged involvement in criminal conspiracy and money laundering, intensifying scrutiny over his business dealings.