EFCC grills ex-NNPCL chief Mele Kyari over $7.2B refinery rehabilitation funds as frozen accounts, corruption claims, and Nigeria’s fuel crisis deepen.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has intensified its probe into alleged large-scale corruption in Nigeria’s oil industry, with former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, currently under interrogation.
Kyari, who served as GMD of the state-owned oil giant from 2019 until July 2024, is being questioned at EFCC headquarters in Abuja over a controversial $7.2 billion refinery rehabilitation programme, widely criticized for consuming vast sums of public funds without restoring the nation’s moribund refineries.
According to EFCC insiders, Kyari was invited to clarify suspicious financial transactions tied to several refinery overhauls.
Nigeria’s refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna have remained inactive for years despite repeated spending on so-called turnaround maintenance.
An official familiar with the matter disclosed: “He is here with our investigators at the moment. This is all I can disclose for now.”
Industry observers say the projects became cash drains, enriching contractors and officials while forcing Nigeria—the largest oil producer in Africa—to rely heavily on imported refined fuel, worsening inflation and triggering recurrent fuel price crises.
Kyari had previously been placed on the EFCC’s watch list over similar concerns.
The suspicions gained traction when a Federal High Court in Abuja recently ordered the temporary freezing of four bank accounts linked to him, pending the outcome of EFCC investigations.
Legal analysts argue that the court’s intervention suggests the case has credible grounds, underscoring the seriousness of the allegations.
Attempts to reach EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale for official confirmation were unsuccessful as calls to his phone were not returned.
The Commission is yet to issue a formal statement on Kyari’s interrogation, heightening public speculation.
Kyari is widely credited with spearheading reforms in the oil sector, including the landmark transformation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation into the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, designed to operate commercially like a private entity.
However, critics argue that his tenure was overshadowed by unresolved controversies surrounding refinery funding, subsidy management, and rising pump prices.
The current EFCC investigation risks eclipsing his achievements, casting a shadow over his reform agenda.
For ordinary Nigerians, the allegations revive anger over decades of waste in the petroleum sector, where billions that could have provided jobs, healthcare, and infrastructure instead disappeared into failed refinery projects.
Industry observers also warn that the case could further dent Nigeria’s reputation among international investors.
With the country seeking fresh investments in the energy sector, ongoing corruption probes may raise doubts about the transparency of contracts and the security of foreign capital.
The interrogation of Kyari signals growing pressure on Nigeria to hold senior officials accountable for mismanagement in its most lucrative sector.
The EFCC has yet to disclose the length of Kyari’s questioning or whether formal charges will be filed.
However, the case is expected to dominate national debate in the coming weeks, given the scale of the funds involved and the prominence of the former NNPCL chief.