Mele Kyari, the former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), voluntarily appeared at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday at approximately 2:15 PM. He was summoned to address questions regarding financial and technical issues during his tenure, amid ongoing investigations into alleged fraud at NNPCL.
This follows a Federal High Court order in Abuja, issued by Justice Emeka Nwite, temporarily freezing four Jaiz Bank accounts linked to Kyari, following an ex-parte motion by EFCC lawyer Ogechi Ujam. The EFCC stated that the investigation requires additional time to conclude.
The probe also involves other senior NNPCL officials, including former Chief Financial Officer Umar Isa and ex-Managing Director of Warri Refinery Jimoh Olasunkanmi, over an alleged $7.2 billion fraud tied to the rehabilitation of the Kaduna, Warri, and Port Harcourt refineries.
The Senate Committee on Public Accounts, led by Senator Aliyu Wadada, recently flagged discrepancies worth trillions of naira in NNPCL’s audited financial statements from 2017 to 2023, describing them as “mind-boggling.” The committee issued 11 queries to NNPCL’s finance team, demanding responses within a week.
In November 2024, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu restructured the NNPCL board, replacing Chairman Pius Akinyelure and Kyari. Bashir Ojulari was appointed as the new CEO, effective April 2, 2025.
