- Protesters urged the AGF to investigate alleged multibillion-dollar fraud and shady refinery deals under Mele Kyari’s leadership.
- The group condemned the lack of action since Kyari’s removal and questioned the $2bn debt to Matrix Energy being repaid with crude oil allocations.
On Tuesday, April 22, a group of protesters stormed the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), demanding the prosecution of Mele Kyari, the former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
Operating under Concerned Citizens Against Corruption, the protesters urged the AGF to launch a thorough investigation into NNPCL’s transactions over the past five years.
Led by its convener, Kabir Matazu, the group expressed disappointment that despite President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove Kyari and the entire NNPCL board on April 2, 2025, the government has taken no steps to investigate the alleged corruption that plagued Kyari’s tenure.
They raised concerns over the government-owned refineries’ controversial rehabilitation and recommissioning, alleging that the authorities spent billions of dollars without transparency.
The group also highlighted a troubling case in which NNPCL reportedly owes Matrix Energy over $2 billion, a debt the company is servicing through daily crude oil allocations.
“The removal of the corrupt NNPCL leadership drew widespread applause, especially from accountability-focused groups like ours,” Matazu said.
He added, “Despite the numerous corruption allegations surrounding Kyari’s administration, particularly due to a lack of transparency, President Tinubu has only removed the former leadership without initiating any investigation into their actions.”
The group described the alleged fraud involving refinery rehabilitation as a major issue, pointing to inconsistencies in the figures. According to them, Kyari’s administration claimed Matrix Energy invested $400 million in rehabilitating the Port Harcourt Refinery, even though the Federal Executive Council had already approved $1.5 billion for the same project.
“Even more perplexing is the $2 billion debt NNPCL now reportedly owes Matrix Energy, which it is repaying through daily crude oil allocations without any trace of payment,” Matazu continued.
“This raises critical questions: Why and how did NNPCL incur this $2 billion debt to Matrix Energy? Who negotiated this deal? And why are Nigerians being kept in the dark?”
The group stressed that investigating these matters would help the Federal Government determine how Kyari’s leadership managed public resources.
“An investigation into these shady transactions could uncover recoverable funds, an urgent need, especially given Nigeria’s economic challenges,” Matazu said.
He also argued that such an inquiry would hold the current leadership accountable and prevent a repeat of past mistakes.
The group called on the AGF to immediately review all agreements made by NNPCL under Kyari’s administration.
“This investigation must expose the financial losses the Federal Government suffered and recommend clear steps to recover public funds. We demand an immediate judicial review,” Matazu insisted.
The protesters pledged to keep pressing for transparency and accountability, asserting that Nigerians deserve the truth about the alleged corruption under Kyari’s watch.