EFCC Investigates Mele Kyari, 13 Other Former, Serving NNPCL Officials

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is currently investigating former group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, managing directors of the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries and about 11 others over alleged abuse of office and misappropriation of funds.

A letter from the anti-graft agency, dated April 28 and addressed to the current NNPC Managing Director, with reference number CR:3000/EFCC/ABJ/HQ/SDC.2/NNPC/VOL.1/698, requested for certified records of salaries, emoluments, and allowances for 14 current and former NNPC officials.

It was gathered that the handling of the refineries where the country spent over $2.9 billion without tangible results is among the key issues being investigated.

Those listed by the EFCC include former Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari; former Group Managing Director, Abubakar Yar’Adua; former Managing Director of the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), Ibrahim Onoja; former Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC), Mustafa Sugungun; former Group Executive Director, Finance & Services, Isiaka Abdulrazak; former Chief Financial Officer of NNPC Ltd, Umar Ajiya; former

Managing Director of PHRC, Dikko Ahmed; power plant engineer at PHRC, Ademoye Jelili; and Manager of Production at NNPC/KRPC, Efiok Akpan.

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Others are Kayode Adetokunbo, Babatunde Bakare, Jimoh Olasunkanmi, Bello Kankaya, and Desmond Inyama.

Titled ‘Investigation Activities Request for Information’, the EFCC’s letter states that it is probing a case of alleged abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds, and requires documentation for both serving and retired staff.“In view of the above, you are kindly requested to furnish certified true copies of their emoluments and allowances, including that of those who have retired and no longer work with your organisation,” the EFCC wrote.

A source familiar with the probe said that about N80 billion was discovered in multiple accounts linked to some of the former refinery heads.This probe comes amid a recent overhaul of NNPC’s leadership structure.

Last week, the new management removed the managing directors of its three state-owned refineries and directed management staff with less than a year to retirement to proceed on exit. Among those removed are Ibrahim Onoja (PHRC), Mustafa Sugungun (KRPC), and Efifia Chu (Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company). Their replacements are yet to be announced.The restructuring, communicated via internal emails, is part of a broader effort to reposition the national oil company under new leadership.

President Bola Tinubu had earlier dismissed Mele Kyari as GCEO and dissolved the company’s board, appointing former Shell Nigeria chief, Bayo Ojulari, as the new head of NNPC Ltd.

Additionally, Bala Wunti, who previously served as chief Upstream Investment officer at the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) and was recently reassigned to NNPC’s HSC office in Abuja, is no longer with the company.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s minister of Finance and Coordinating minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, had announced last week that a forensic audit of NNPC Ltd is underway.

The developments follow recent protests by civil society groups demanding a comprehensive probe into NNPC’s activities under Kyari’s tenure