The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reportedly placed former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, on its watchlist as part of its ongoing investigation into the controversial $7.2 billion refineries’ turnaround maintenance project.
This comes just days after the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered a temporary freeze on four bank accounts linked to Kyari over allegations of fraud.
According to Daily Trust, EFCC sources revealed that the probe into NNPCL operations under Kyari has entered an advanced stage. Detectives have already interrogated some of his close associates, focusing on how funds meant for reviving Nigeria’s ailing refineries were handled.
One senior official explained that investigations have gone “very far,” adding that Kyari’s movements are being closely monitored.
“Territorial boundaries mean nothing in cases like this. If we need him, we will get him. He’s already on our watchlist,” the source said.
Another insider stressed that the commission’s silence about Kyari until now was deliberate:
“We’re being discreet so we can gather all the critical information we need. There are several officials involved, so we don’t want to jeopardize the process.”
It will be recalled that President Bola Tinubu, back in April, sacked both Kyari and the then NNPCL board chairman, Pius Akinyelure. Bashir Ojulari has since been appointed as the new Group CEO, effective April 2, 2025.
The EFCC’s probe is expected to shed light on how billions of dollars allocated to fix Nigeria’s refineries were managed—or possibly mismanaged—during Kyari’s tenure.
