The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced a thorough investigation into an alleged financial infraction involving Mele Kyari, the former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), and 13 other high-ranking former top management staff of the Company.
This was at it was gathered that the focus of the investigation is premised on alleged abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds within the NNPC Ltd.
Checks by Forefront News indicated that the anti-graft agency has formally requested the NNPC Ltd to provide it with certified records detailing the salaries, benefits, and allowances of the implicated individuals, including those who are now retired.
The EFCC’s correspondence, addressed to the new Group Managing Director of NNPC Ltd, specifically named Mele Kyari and several other top officials namely; Abubakar Yar’Adua, Isiaka Abdulrazak, Umar Ajiya, Dikko Ahmed, Ibrahim Onoja, Ademoye Jelili, Mustapha Sugungun, Kayode Adetokunbo, Efiok Akpan, Babatunde Bakare, Jimoh Olasunkanmi, Bello Kankaya, and Desmond Inyama.
The EFCC said in the letter; “The commission is investigating a case of abuse of office and misappropriation of funds in which the underlisted officials of your organisation featured.”
The disturbing development is coming amid growing criticisms of the NNPC Ltd performance, particularly with regards to the management of the country’s ailing refineries. The colossal amount of $897 million was pumped into the rehabilitation of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) which has failed to restore effective operations, as the facility could not produce Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
Similarly, the recently refurbished $1.5 billion Port Harcourt Refinery is operating at less than 38% of its intended capacity, thereby raising questions about the effectiveness of NNPC Ltd refinery revitalization strategy.
Specifically, the Warri Refinery, which was relaunched by the NNPC Ltd in December 2024, has suffered a significant setback when it was shut down due to a technical fault in its Crude Distillation Unit’s main heater.
This was in spite of the nearly $900 million spent on its rehabilitation for which the plant has been unable to produce petrol as it ceased operations less than a month after Kyari announced its revival.
Further checks indicated that in January 2025, activity within the refinery was minimal just as contradicting NNPC Ltd official claims of ongoing production which are not visible as only skeletal activity were seen.
However, the probe by the EFCC in addition to the operational failures in the petroleum sector, has further eroded public trust in the NNPC Ltd thus, increased the calls for deeper reforms within Nigeria’s oil and gas sectors of the nation’s economy.
