The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has frozen the bank accounts of Nigerian businessman Abdullahi Bashir Haske over allegations of money laundering and fraud.
Haske, the founder of AA & R Investment Group, is reported to have fled the country after allegedly breaching his bail conditions.
The embattled oil magnate, who is linked to Bayo Ojulari, Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, is now at the center of an expanding investigation.
According to EFCC sources, over $56 million has been traced to different accounts linked to Haske within the last three months alone. The probe also focuses on suspicious financial flows, bulk cash transfers, and questionable contracts tied to NNPC EnServe Ltd., a subsidiary under NNPCL’s Upstream Directorate.
The EFCC has since declared Haske wanted and urged members of the public to provide any information that could assist in his arrest.
The manhunt for Haske unfolds against the backdrop of mounting controversy over alleged fraudulent contracts tied to him and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The Coalition of Nigerian Patriots for Good Governance has accused NNPCL’s leadership under Bayo Ojulari of awarding a ₦5.7 billion consultancy contract to Haske without due process. The group denounced the deal as “a loot in broad daylight,” questioning why an obscure firm with no proven track record was selected.
It also condemned what it described as reckless extravagance by NNPCL executives, pointing to both the secretive consultancy contract and the lavish management retreat in Kigali, Rwanda.
At the center of the EFCC’s expanding probe are suspicions of money laundering, bulk cash transfers, and questionable transactions linked to NNPC EnServe Ltd., a subsidiary under NNPCL’s Upstream Directorate.