The former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, is currently in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of mismanagement of multibillion-dollar funds earmarked for the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s refineries.
Kyari was sighted at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday afternoon where he was ushered in by crack detectives for interrogation. Sources within the commission confirmed that he is being quizzed over the handling of about $7.2 billion allocated for turnaround maintenance of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries during his tenure.
The development comes weeks after a Federal High Court ordered the freezing of four bank accounts allegedly linked to Kyari at the request of the EFCC. He had earlier been placed on the commission’s watchlist as investigations into alleged fraud, conspiracy, abuse of office, and money laundering intensified.
The refinery probe has been one of the most sensitive issues in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, as billions of dollars have been spent over the years without the facilities functioning at optimal capacity. The EFCC is now expected to grill Kyari on how such funds were utilized and why the refineries remain comatose despite repeated assurances of completion.
While the commission is yet to issue an official statement, sources hinted that Kyari may spend more than a day in EFCC custody as questioning continues. The case is part of a wider effort by anti-graft agencies to unravel the decades-long scandals surrounding Nigeria’s refineries.