Mele Kyari, the former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), was recently quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of multi-billion-dollar fraud. Specifically, the EFCC is investigating Kyari’s role in the alleged mismanagement of $7.2 billion earmarked for the turnaround maintenance of Nigeria’s state-owned refineries, including Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna facilities.
Kyari is accused of misappropriating funds meant for refinery rehabilitation, with allegations of over-invoicing, illicit money transfers to associates, and undocumented expenditures on oil exploration projects.
The EFCC is also investigating Kyari for alleged abuse of office and money laundering, with suspicious inflows traced to the NNPCL and several oil companies.
Kyari voluntarily appeared before the EFCC to answer questions regarding the allegations.
A Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the temporary freezing of four Jaiz Bank accounts linked to Kyari, with a total of ₦661,464,601.50 suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
The case has been adjourned to September 23, 2025, for a status update.
The probe into Kyari’s leadership began in April 2025, triggered by petitions from civil society organizations, lawyers, and concerned citizens.
Kyari, who was appointed GMD of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in July 2019 and later oversaw its transition into a limited liability company in 2021, was replaced in July 2024 amid mounting public scrutiny of NNPCL’s finances.
