By Protesters under the banner Concerned Citizens Against Corruption staged a demonstration on Tuesday at the Federal Ministry of Justice, demanding the immediate prosecution of former Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) boss, Mele Kyari.
Led by Convener Comrade Kabir Matazu, the group expressed outrage that despite President Bola Tinubu’s April 2 removal of Kyari and the entire NNPCL board, no formal investigation had been launched into the company’s financial activities during his tenure.
The protesters cited alleged fraudulent dealings in refinery rehabilitation, including conflicting claims about investments in the Port Harcourt Refinery. They highlighted that while the Federal Executive Council approved $1.5 billion for the project, Kyari’s administration also claimed Matrix Energy Limited invested $400 million. Despite this, the NNPCL reportedly owes Matrix Energy over $2 billion — a debt allegedly being serviced through daily crude oil allocations.
Matazu raised serious questions:
“Why and how is the Federal Government through the NNPCL owing Matrix Oil $2 billion? Why is the debt being paid with daily supply of crude oil? Who were the parties to the negotiations of this deal?”
He described the situation as both “perplexing” and “unacceptable,” calling on the Attorney General to initiate a full judicial review and potentially establish a commission of inquiry.
The group urged authorities to scrutinize all agreements signed under Kyari’s leadership and determine financial losses to the nation.
“This investigation should find out how much the Federal Government has lost to such agreements and recommend how to recover identified funds,” Matazu emphasized.
They concluded by reaffirming their commitment to demanding transparency and accountability, stressing that Nigerians deserve clarity on how public funds were used during Kyari’s administration.
