KEY POINTS
- Former NNPCL head Mele Kyari appeared before EFCC as fraud probe widens.
- Court froze Kyari-linked Jaiz Bank accounts amid $7.2 billion refinery contract allegations.
- Senate flagged trillions of naira in discrepancies in NNPCL’s audited accounts.
Nigeria’s anti-graft agency has questioned Mele Kyari, the immediate past chief executive of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd., NNPCL, as part of a widening investigation into alleged multibillion-dollar fraud at the state energy giant.
Kyari, who stepped down from his role earlier this year after a sweeping board shake-up by President Bola Tinubu, honored an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, according to people familiar with the matter. Officials requested anonymity as they weren’t authorized to comment publicly.
The probe, which has already ensnared former NNPCL finance chief Umar Isa and other senior executives, centers on an alleged $7.2 billion scheme tied to the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s Kaduna, Warri, and Port Harcourt refineries. It follows mounting concerns from lawmakers, who flagged discrepancies running into trillions of naira in the company’s audited accounts spanning 2017 to 2023.
Court Orders Freeze of Bank Accounts as Senate Tightens Oversight
This week, a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the temporary freezing of four Jaiz Bank accounts linked to Kyari, granting EFCC more time to pursue its inquiries. Justice Emeka Nwite ruled in favor of the request after the agency argued it needed additional scope to complete investigations.
Senator Aliyu Wadada, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, has separately pressed the company’s finance team to answer 11 queries over its books within a week, describing the alleged financial gaps as “mind-boggling.”
Investigators are focusing on claims of abuse of office, diversion of funds, and kickbacks involving refinery contracts. Some officials have been detained for questioning, while others may avoid charges depending on the findings, one person close to the probe said.
The investigation adds to mounting scrutiny on Nigeria’s state oil company at a delicate time. Since the Petroleum Industry Act of 2021, NNPCL has been operating as a limited liability company, with Tinubu pushing reforms to restore investor confidence, drive gas commercialization, and boost local content.
Kyari, who had been a central figure in Nigeria’s oil sector for years, has not publicly commented on the allegations. EFCC officials maintain the probe remains at the investigative stage, with no timeline yet for possible prosecutions.
