AGF assures probe of former NNPCL boss Mele Kyari as public pressure mounts

The Federal Government has given its strongest indication yet that the former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, will be investigated following growing public outcry over allegations of financial impropriety.

The assurance came on Wednesday from the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), through a senior official of the ministry. Addressing a coalition of protesting lawyers at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja, Deputy Director Winifred Adekunle pledged that the government would respond decisively to the calls for accountability.

“Your petition will receive immediate attention,” Adekunle stated. “There will be a response, and whatever questions you have asked will be addressed appropriately. Be assured that the Attorney General and the Solicitor General are people you can rely on. Whatever you have requested will be addressed.”

The lawyers, under the banner of the Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law, submitted a formal petition dated April 23, demanding an immediate investigation, arrest, and prosecution of Kyari over a series of alleged corrupt dealings during his tenure at the helm of NNPCL.

This development comes on the heels of mounting public protests outside the Ministry of Justice — now in their second consecutive day — led by groups like Concerned Citizens Against Corruption. Protesters have called for a comprehensive probe into NNPCL’s financial dealings under Kyari, which span a period of at least five years.

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The petition, co-signed by the group’s convener, Emmanuel Agada, and National Secretary, Jonathan Uchendu, accused Kyari of fostering a culture of opacity in the management of the nation’s foremost oil company. According to the petitioners, Kyari’s administration presided over questionable transactions, particularly surrounding the rehabilitation of government-owned refineries.

One of the major points of contention involves the controversial Port Harcourt Refinery project. Petitioners alleged discrepancies in the funding, claiming that despite a Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval of $1.5 billion for the refinery’s overhaul, Kyari’s administration reported an additional $400 million investment by Matrix Energy Limited, a move the group finds both suspicious and unaccounted for.

The group further alleged that NNPCL owes Matrix Energy over $2 billion, a debt reportedly being serviced through the daily allocation of 80,000 barrels of crude oil. Protesters questioned the legality, transparency, and public benefit of such an arrangement.

“Why are these transactions shrouded in secrecy? Who negotiated them on behalf of Nigerians? Why is the public the last to know about decisions involving national assets?” asked Agada, speaking to reporters at the protest ground.

The petitioners urged the AGF to take decisive steps to:

• Review and audit all contracts and financial transactions executed under Kyari’s leadership.
• Investigate and quantify any misappropriated funds.
• Recommend measures for the recovery of losses.
• Establish a Commission of Inquiry to probe NNPCL’s management of refinery rehabilitation projects.

Their message was clear: This is not about vengeance; it is about justice, accountability, and restoring public trust in government institutions.

“Removing Mele Kyari was a start,” said Uchendu. “But for the Nigerian people to believe in this administration’s anti-corruption stance, there must be consequences for abuse of power.”

The protesters reaffirmed their willingness to support the Ministry of Justice in conducting what they described as a “transparent and exhaustive” investigation.

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