Lawyers, CSOs petition EFCC against fmr. NNPCL boss Mele Kyari over corruption charges; “sponsored campaign of calumny” _ a Coalition of Civil Society Groups rose in his defense

A coalition of lawyers and civil society organisations stormed the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja Thursday morning with a petition demanding an urgent probe into Mele Kyari, the former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).

The group, operating under the name Guardian of Democracy and Rule of Law and led by Asika Raymond, accused Kyari of “monumental fraud, tax evasion, economic sabotage, and abuse of office” during his tenure from July 2019 to February 2025.

In their petition, the group alleged massive irregularities in the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s refineries, citing the Port Harcourt Refinery as a key example.

“Despite initial estimates of $1 billion for the three refineries, the NNPCL under Kyari expended $1.5 billion on just one,” the petition stated.

The petitioners also raised concerns about crude oil allocations being diverted under the guise of “pipeline security” arrangements at a suspicious volume of 80,000 barrels per day.

They claimed this was done without transparency or accountability. Another major point of contention was the AKK Gas Pipeline Project, which was initially valued at $5b.

According to the petition, “The project has been riddled with irregularities in the award and execution of contracts, with little physical progress despite several budgetary allocations and foreign financing.”

On fuel subsidies, the group claimed fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“While global fuel consumption declined in 2020, Nigeria’s fuel imports curiously increased,” they alleged.

They also highlighted the accumulation of $21.565 billion in crude-backed loans since 2019, stating that “the structure of these loans disadvantaged Nigeria, with future production mortgaged and trading upsides ceded to foreign traders.”

The EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, who received the petition, assured that the Commission would review the allegations swiftly.

But a coalition of civil society organisations has risen in defence of Mele Kyari describing recent calls for his trial as a “sponsored campaign of calumny.”

The Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative (EUYI) and the Coalition of Civil Society Groups on Transparency in Governance jointly addressed a press conference in Abuja, condemning what they termed “mischief” by a group known as Concerned Citizens Against Corruption.  

Speaking on behalf of the coalition, Comrade Igwe Ude-umanta, National Coordinator of EUYI, said: “It is very sad and constraining when credible organisations like ours have to take the pain of responding to gibberish… These are clearly sponsored individuals with very nauseating and illogical messages.”

Kyari, who recently exited the NNPCL following the board’s reconstitution, has faced public criticism, particularly over his role during Nigeria’s controversial fuel subsidy regime.

The coalition maintained that his record was exemplary saying: “Under Kyari, the former NNPC was unbundled and transformed into a profit-making entity for the first time,” Ude-umanta said, highlighting the revival of public refineries and an increase in oil production from under 1 million to 2 million barrels per day.

 

He added that major stakeholders, including the Trade Union Congress (TUC), PENGASSAN, and NUPENG, had acknowledged Kyari’s achievements.

“Even President Bola Ahmed Tinubu hailed his sterling performance,” he noted.

 

Dismissing the demand for Kyari’s trial as baseless, the coalition challenged the accusers to a public debate saying that “Hard facts are at our disposal, and facts don’t lie,” Ude-umanta declared.

They also clarified that Kyari’s departure was due to retirement, not dismissal.

“Falsehood and blackmail must not be allowed to go unchallenged,” the statement concluded.