The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has begun questioning the former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, over allegations of financial misconduct tied to a controversial $7.2 billion refinery turnaround maintenance project.
According to sources within the anti-graft agency, Kyari is currently at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, where he is being interrogated by investigators.
“He is here with our investigators at the moment. This is all I can disclose for now,” one of the sources confirmed.
Kyari is said to be providing explanations regarding multibillion-dollar transactions carried out during his tenure as the head of the state-owned oil company. Efforts to reach the EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, for official comments were unsuccessful as calls went unanswered.
The investigation centers on long-standing allegations of mismanagement and irregularities surrounding Nigeria’s refineries, which remain non-functional despite repeated funding for turnaround maintenance projects.
Earlier, Kyari had been placed on the EFCC’s watch list over the refinery programme. In a related development, the Federal High Court in Abuja recently ordered the temporary freezing of four bank accounts linked to him, pending the outcome of ongoing investigations into alleged fraud.
Mele Kyari served as the GMD of the NNPCL from 2019 until July 2024, when he was replaced. During his tenure, he was credited with spearheading reforms, including the transition of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation into a limited liability company.
