A wave of protest swept through Abuja on Tuesday as a group known as Concerned Citizens Against Corruption gathered at the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), calling for the prosecution of former Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) chief, Mele Kyari.
The protesters, led by convener Kabir Matazu, urged the AGF to open a comprehensive investigation into NNPCL’s financial dealings over the last five years.
The group expressed dismay that, despite President Bola Tinubu’s decisive move to dissolve the NNPCL board and remove Kyari on April 2, 2025, no visible action has been taken to probe alleged corruption under Kyari’s leadership.
The group highlighted controversies surrounding the rehabilitation and recommissioning of government-owned refineries, alleging that billions of dollars were spent without transparency.
They also pointed out a perplexing situation where NNPCL is reportedly indebted to Matrix Energy to the tune of over $2 billion, with the debt being serviced through daily crude oil allocations.
“It is on record that the removal of the erstwhile leadership of the NNPCL was widely applauded by Nigerians, especially groups like ours that have been at the forefront of demanding accountability and transparency in the management of institutions,” Matazu said.
He further stated, “It is also notable that Kyari’s leadership of the NNPCL was plagued by numerous allegations of corruption due to a lack of transparency. Nigerians are disillusioned that the President has only stopped at removing the former leadership without initiating steps to investigate Kyari and his team’s management of the organisation. A key issue is the alleged fraud surrounding the rehabilitation and recommissioning of government-owned refineries. The figures and facts simply do not add up.
“In addition to the billions of dollars claimed to have been spent on refinery repairs, Kyari’s administration also alleged that Matrix Energy Limited invested $400 million in rehabilitating the Port Harcourt Refinery, even though the Federal Executive Council approved $1.5 billion for the same facility.
“More perplexingly, the NNPCL is now reportedly indebted to Matrix Energy by over $2 billion. This debt is being serviced through daily crude oil allocations to Matrix Energy, for which no payments are being made.
“This situation raises urgent questions: Why and how is the Federal Government, through the NNPCL, indebted to Matrix Energy for $2 billion? Why is the debt being serviced with daily crude oil supplies? Who were the parties involved in negotiating this deal? Why are Nigerians being kept in the dark about these agreements.”
The group also emphasised that addressing these issues would enable the Federal Government to account for how public resources were used under Kyari’s leadership.
“An investigation into these transactions would help the government identify funds that need to be recovered and from whom, especially considering Nigeria’s dire economic condition.
“Furthermore, such an investigation would ensure that the current leadership is held accountable and avoid repeating the mistakes of the past”, Matazu said.
The group urged the AGF to immediately review all agreements entered into by the NNPCL during Kyari’s administration.
“This investigation should uncover the Federal Government’s financial losses and recommend actionable steps to recover these funds. We demand an immediate judicial review,” Matazu stated.
The Concerned Citizens Against Corruption also urged the Minister of Justice to push for a commission of inquiry into the NNPCL’s handling of refinery repairs under Kyari and the dissolved board.
The protesters vowed to continue demanding accountability and transparency in the management of institutions, emphasising that Nigerians deserve to know the truth about the alleged corrupt practices under Kyari’s leadership.
(Punch)