A group of lawyers and civil society organisations (CSOs) early yesterday stormed the EFCC headquarters in Abuja with a petition against Mele Kyari, the former group chief executive officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).
The commission’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale, who received the petition on behalf of the chairman, said it would look into the allegations raised.
“The issues raised in the petition will be looked into and will be addressed,” he said.
The petition alleged that Kyari perpetrated monumental fraud, tax evasion, economic sabotage, and abuse of office during his tenure from July 2019 to February 2025.
According to the Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law led by Asika Raymond, Kyari collaborated with certain consultants and contractors to conceal the actual cost of refineries rehabilitation projects and evade taxes due to the Federal Government.
One notable example cited was the Port Harcourt Refinery, where the group alleged that the NNPCL under Kyari’s leadership expended $1.5 billion, despite initial estimates of $1 billion for the three refineries.
The petitioners questioned the transparency and accountability of the payments made to consultants and contractors handling the refineries’ rehabilitation projects.
The petition also alleged that crude oil allocations were diverted and financial transactions were carried out under the guise of “pipeline security” at a suspicious rate of 80,000 barrels per day, with no transparent process or accountability mechanism, among others.
Another group, a coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) and digital content creators, Kyari against what they described as “coordinated media attacks” and “politically engineered protests” over the $2.3 billion crude-for-loan deal.
The groups – Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria (COCSON) and the Bloggers and Vloggers, Content Creators Association (BAVCCA) – said the allegations surrounding the deal were baseless and targeted at discrediting Kyari’s reputation and legacy in the oil and gas sector.
Addressing newsmen yesterday in Abuja, national mobilisation officer of COCSON, comrade Tabuko Kennedy, said critics were distorting facts about the loan agreement, which was signed under a sovereign framework and in collaboration with Afreximbank, with the full knowledge and approval of relevant federal agencies.
“This is not a scandal. It is a structured and transparent commercial transaction designed to stabilise Nigeria’s foreign exchange and support economic recovery,” he stated.
He noted that the loan, backed by crude oil, was not a personal decision by Kyari but a national economic strategy endorsed by the Ministry of Finance, the Debt Management Office, and the Attorney General’s Office. He added that there is no evidence of missing crude or misappropriated funds.
“The records are available. The repayment structure is clear and fully auditable. Anyone with valid claims should present credible evidence, not incite protests or manipulate public opinion,” he said.
The coalition insisted that Mele Kyari brought unprecedented transparency to the NNPCL by transitioning it into a limited liability company with audited financial statements published for public scrutiny – a first in the corporation’s history.
The groups described the protests against Kyari as the handiwork of corrupt interests threatened by reforms initiated under his leadership.
“This is a classic case of corruption fighting back,” said Kennedy. “Mele Kyari sanitised the oil sector, and now those benefiting from the rot want to destroy his legacy.”
Referencing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s public commendation of Kyari on his 60th birthday in January 2025, the coalition argued that Kyari left office honourably and continues to enjoy the respect of the current administration.
“We urge President Tinubu to stay focused and not succumb to politically motivated distractions. The enemies of reform cannot dictate the future of our national oil assets,” they said.
The coalition reaffirmed its support for Mele Kyari and warned against attempts to undermine due process and national interest for political gain.
“We stand with Mele Kyari. We stand for accountability and reform. We reject blackmail and mob justice,” the groups declared.
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