In a scathing rebuke of Nigeria’s oil sector leadership, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) and over 75 civil society organisations have demanded the arrest of former NNPCL Group CEO, Mele Kyari, calling for an open judicial probe into what they described as a “financial calamity” at the state oil firm.
The coalition, under the banner of the Coalition of National Civil Society Organisations (CNCSOs), issued a 21-day ultimatum to President Bola Tinubu to act or face a wave of lawsuits, international petitions, and mass protests.
Speaking in Abuja, CNCSOs spokesperson Dr Agaba Iduh accused Kyari and his management team of presiding over “industrial-scale corruption, reckless mismanagement, and economic sabotage” during their time at the helm of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
“The ₦210 trillion in unreconciled transactions is not a clerical error. It is a national emergency of historic proportions,” Iduh declared. “Nigerians cannot be placated with weak explanations or mere dismissals.”
Kyari’s Sacking ‘Not Enough’
While President Tinubu’s decision to sack Kyari and the NNPCL leadership was praised as a bold first step, the coalition insists it is insufficient in the face of deep-rooted corruption.
“We acknowledge the dismissal, but Nigerians demand more,” Iduh said. “What is needed now is a full forensic audit, a fearless public judicial probe, and criminal prosecutions where necessary. Anything short of that betrays the suffering masses and undermines Tinubu’s reform agenda.”
The coalition’s statement laid out a damning timeline of alleged abuse under Kyari’s leadership:
- 2021: Fraudulent recruitment into the dormant Port Harcourt refinery, draining billions.
- 2024: Importation of contaminated fuel, triggering subsidy frauds and public hardship.
- 2015: Alleged illegal sale of 48 million barrels of crude when Kyari headed crude oil marketing.
- 2025: NNPCL refused to honour Freedom of Information (FOI) requests on refinery contracts.
- 2023: ₦210 trillion in unreconciled transactions in audited financials from 2017–2023.
The coalition also highlighted NNPCL’s refusal to appear before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, choosing instead to prioritise a management retreat.
“That’s not just arrogance—it’s institutional impunity,” said Iduh. “Is Mele Kyari above the law? Who is shielding him?”
Although the EFCC has reportedly begun arrests of some former NNPCL executives linked to the $7.2 billion refinery rehabilitation scandal, Kyari remains untouched. The coalition warned that unless action is taken, President Tinubu’s ambition to build a $1 trillion economy by 2030 risks collapse.
“Mr President, history is watching. Your Renewed Hope Agenda will be a pipe dream without decisive action against oil sector looters,” Iduh warned.
The coalition’s ultimatum includes:
- A public judicial inquiry into NNPCL operations from 2015 to 2023
- The arrest and prosecution of all key actors, including Kyari
- A full forensic audit by an independent, internationally recognised firm
- Mass action if no government response is seen within 21 days
“This is no longer about personalities. It’s about the economic future of Nigeria,” Iduh concluded. “The world is watching. Nigerians are waiting. And history will not forgive silence in the face of this scandal.”
