On Tuesday, a group of demonstrators invaded the office of Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, calling for the prosecution of Mele Kyari, the former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
Under the aegis of Concerned Citizens Against Corruption, the demonstrators requested that the AGF thoroughly examine NNPCL’s dealings during the previous five years.
The organization, led by its convener, Kabir Matazu, voiced dissatisfaction that no action had been taken to look into the alleged corrupt practices during Kyari’s term, even after President Bola Tinubu removed Kyari and the entire NNPCL board on April 2, 2025.
The organization brought attention to issues pertaining to the restoration and reopening of government-owned refineries, claiming that billions of dollars were spent in an opaque manner.
They also brought attention to a confusing circumstance in which the NNPCL is allegedly owed more than $2 billion by Matrix Energy, and the loan is being paid off with daily allotments of crude oil.
“It is documented that Nigerians, particularly organizations like ours that have been leading the charge for accountability and transparency in the administration of institutions, enthusiastically welcomed the removal of the former corrupt leadership of the NNPCL,” Matazu stated.
“It is also noteworthy that Kyari’s leadership of the NNPCL was beset by multiple accusations of corruption because of a lack of transparency,” he added. Nigerians are disappointed that the president has just removed the previous leadership without looking into Kyari and his team’s handling of the company.
The purported fraud involving the restoration and recommissioning of government-owned refineries is a major problem. The facts and numbers just don’t add up.
Kyari’s administration further claimed that Matrix Energy Limited spent $400 million on the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery, despite the Federal Executive Council having sanctioned $1.5 billion for the same facility. This is on top of the billions of dollars that were allegedly spent on refinery repairs.
More perplexingly, the NNPCL is now reportedly indebted to Matrix Energy by over $2bn. 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 $2bn? 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 questionable transactions would help the government identify funds that need to be recovered and from whom, especially considering Nigeria’s dire economic condition,” Matazu said.
“Furthermore, such an investigation would ensure that the current leadership is held accountable and avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.”
The group charged 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 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.
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