Over 500 anti-corruption lawyers on Wednesday stormed the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) in Abuja, seeking immediate probe of Mele Kyari, the former group chief executive officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The lawyers, under the aegis of Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law, said they were out to rid the nation of corruption, especially in the oil industry.
Official of the Ministry of Justice, a Deputy Director, Winifred Adekunle who received the petition on behalf of the AGF, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, assured that prompt action will be taken on the issue.
According to the petition co-signed by Barrister Emmanuel Agada and Jonathan Uchendu, the lawyers lamented that Kyari’s leadership of the NNPCL was plagued with countless allegations of corruption, which were allegedly made inevitable by the opaque way he ran the organisation.
The lawyers cited the controversy surrounding the rehabilitation and restreaming of government-owned refineries, where billions of dollars were reportedly spent, but the figures and facts did not add up.
The petition highlighted the case of Matrix Energy Limited, which allegedly invested $400 million in the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery, even as the Federal Executive Council had approved $1.5 billion for the repairs of the same facility.
They stated that the NNPCL is now reportedly owing Matrix Energy more than $2 billion, with the debt being serviced through daily crude oil allocations to Matrix Energy that are not being paid for.
Among their demands, the lawyers were asking the AGF to review all agreements entered into by the NNPCL under Kyari’s administration, launch a fact-finding investigation into the questionable transactions, and institute a commission of inquiry into the NNPCL’s handling of the refineries’ repairs under him.
The protesting lawyers vowed to continue their agitation until Kyari is brought to justice and the truth about the alleged corruption uncovered.
The petition added, “The Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law strongly believe that getting to the root of this matter will help the Federal Government to account for how public resources were squandered on the controversial refineries’ repairs undertaken under the Kyari leadership.
“In view of the facts stated above, we request that the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation to immediately review all agreements entered by the NNPCL under the Mele Kyari administration.
“An investigation into the questionable transactions would also point the government in the direction of what funds to recover and from whom, which is sorely needed now considering Nigeria’s economic condition.
“Furthermore, investigating all that transpired will set the stage for holding even the current leadership accountable while equally identifying potential pitfalls for those who are now in charge so that Nigeria is not caught in a loop of repeating the same mistakes.
“A fact-finding investigation be launched to ascertain how much the Federal Government has lost to such agreements and recommendations on concrete steps to recover identified funds. We demand for an immediate judicial review of all matters related thereto.
“The Guardians of Democracy And Rule of Law will appreciate it if the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation can escalate the issue to a point where the Federal Government institutes a commission of inquiry into NNPCL’s handling of the refineries’ repairs under Kyari and the sacked board. “
LEADERSHIP recalls that a similarly protest by the Concerned Citizens Against Corruption held on Tuesday with related demands seeking the probe of the former NNPCL boss.
Convener of the group, Comrade Kabir Matazu expressed the disappointment that despite Kyari’s and the entire NNPCL board’s removal on April 2, 2025 by removal by President Bola Tinubu, no step was taken to investigate the alleged corrupt practices under his leadership.
The group also highlighted the controversial rehabilitation and restreaming of government-owned refineries, citing allegations of billions of dollars being spent without transparency.
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