No fewer than 500 lawyers, professionals and civil rights activists on Wednesday stormed the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja calling for strict and continuous prosecution of Mele Kyari, former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPCL) Limited.
Labeling the $4 billion squandered on failed refinery rehabilitation projects as “economic treason,” the group, under the aegis of Concerned Lawyers and Citizens Network (CLCN) accused Kyari of betraying Nigeria’s economic future and demanded a forensic audit to trace misappropriated funds.
Barr. Theophilus Ojonugwa, the Network’s spokesperson, condemned Kyari’s audacity to “parade himself as a statesman” while Nigerians suffer the fallout of mismanaged resources.
“This is not merely a financial crime; it is an assault on human dignity and a subversion of national development,” Ojonugwa declared, highlighting the scandal’s role in perpetuating fuel queues and Nigeria’s reliance on costly imported petroleum products.
The group linked the misappropriated $4 billion to unbuilt schools, unequipped hospitals, and lost jobs, framing it as a “betrayal of intergenerational trust.”
The Network raised alarms over MSM Oil & Gas Nigeria Limited, a company allegedly owned by Kyari’s in-law, as a conduit for laundering proceeds.
They criticized the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for what they called a “romance with corruption” and selective prosecution, noting that young Nigerians face harsher penalties for lesser offenses.
“Justice must be blind and uncompromising,” Ojonugwa insisted, warning that treating Kyari with “velvet gloves” risks cementing Nigeria’s image as a “sanctuary for looters.”
The group demanded Kyari’s immediate arrest, the prosecution of his accomplices, and the seizure of all assets tied to the scandal.
They also proposed an independent forensic audit by reputable international firms to ensure transparency, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to fulfill his anti-corruption pledge by making Kyari’s case a “watershed moment” in Nigeria’s fight against impunity.
“If $4 billion had been properly invested, Nigeria would be self-sufficient in refining today,” Ojonugwa lamented, underscoring the scandal’s double tragedy of lost funds and prolonged energy poverty.
Addressing the EFCC, the Network called for decisive action to restore public trust, warning that Nigerians would hold the agency accountable.
They urged citizens to resist complicity and continue demanding justice, declaring, “The destiny of our nation rests in the courage of its people.”
