Nigeria’s anti-graft agency has closed in on Mele Kyari, the immediate past Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), dragging him in for a marathon interrogation over alleged multibillion-dollar fraud.
Kyari, who was sacked in July 2024 after five years at the helm, is currently being grilled at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.
“He is here with our investigators at the moment. This is all I can confirm for now,” a senior EFCC source told Punch Online
Investigators are zeroing in on suspicious financial dealings under Kyari’s watch, including the controversial $7.2 billion refinery turnaround maintenance project that has now become a symbol of waste and failure.
The crackdown has already yielded action in court. Last month, the Federal High Court in Abuja froze four bank accounts linked to Kyari pending further probes into alleged looting.
This latest development signals the noose tightening around one of Nigeria’s most powerful oil barons.
For years, Kyari who regarded himself as a reformer, overseeing NNPC’s transition into a limited liability company.
But critics say the so-called reforms masked shady transactions and entrenched impunity.
The EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, could not be reached for comment.
But sources say Kyari may be facing a long legal battle as investigators dig deeper into how billions meant for reviving Nigeria’s dead refineries vanished without a trace.
