The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has assured Nigerians that former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, will be thoroughly investigated following mounting public pressure and protests.
The assurance was conveyed on Wednesday by Winifred Adekunle, a Deputy Director at the Federal Ministry of Justice, during an address to a group of lawyers who staged a peaceful protest at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
The demonstrators, operating under the banner of Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law, submitted a petition dated April 23, 2025, calling for Kyari’s immediate investigation and prosecution over alleged corruption and financial irregularities during his tenure at the helm of NNPCL.
“You can be rest assured that your petition will receive immediate attention,” Adekunle said. “There will be a response, and the issues raised will be addressed appropriately. The Attorney General and the Solicitor General are people of integrity—your demands will not be ignored.”
This marked the second day of coordinated protests at the Ministry of Justice. On Tuesday, a civil society organisation, Concerned Citizens Against Corruption, also demanded that Kyari be probed and held accountable.
The petition submitted by the legal professionals, signed by Convener Emmanuel Agada and National Secretary Jonathan Uchendu, accuses Kyari of running the NNPCL as “a racket benefiting friends and associates,” and slams the Federal Government for what they describe as a failure to initiate a transparent investigation even after Kyari’s removal from office.
The group cited questionable transactions and opacity in the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s refineries. They referenced a controversial $400 million investment by Matrix Energy Limited in the Port Harcourt Refinery, despite a prior $1.5 billion approval by the Federal Executive Council for the same project.
Additionally, the lawyers raised alarm over an alleged $2 billion debt the NNPCL reportedly owes Matrix Energy, being repaid through a crude oil allocation of 80,000 barrels per day. They questioned who approved such agreements and why the public was kept in the dark.
Among their demands, the petitioners called on the AGF to:
Review all refinery and crude-for-loan agreements signed under Kyari’s leadership
Investigate the financial management of NNPCL during his tenure
Recover misappropriated funds and identify those responsible
Establish a commission of inquiry into refinery rehabilitation projects
They emphasised that a comprehensive and transparent investigation would serve as a deterrent to future misconduct and restore public trust in government institutions.
The group concluded by pledging their support to the Ministry of Justice in executing a thorough and credible probe into the affairs of the NNPCL under Mele Kyari.
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