Hundreds of lawyers gathered at the Ministry of Justice in Abuja on Wednesday, demanding a formal investigation into the former CEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari. The protest, now in its second day, was led by a coalition of over 500 legal professionals seeking answers over alleged mismanagement during Kyari’s time in office.
According to The Nation, the lawyers, operating under the name “Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law,” submitted a detailed petition to the Attorney General of the Federation. The document, signed by Barristers Emmanuel Agada and Jonathan Uchendu, called for a comprehensive review of all agreements made by the NNPCL under Kyari’s leadership.
The petition raised concerns about billions of dollars spent on the refurbishment of government-owned refineries, particularly the Port Harcourt Refinery. While the Federal Executive Council reportedly approved $1.5 billion for its repair, a separate investment of $400 million by a private firm was also mentioned, with little clarity on how the funds were used.
The lawyers further claimed that the NNPCL owes over $2 billion to the investing company, a debt allegedly being repaid through crude oil allocations to Matrix Energy—allocations that are not being financially settled.
They are urging the Ministry of Justice to launch a fact-finding mission into these financial arrangements. They also want a judicial review and the establishment of a commission of inquiry to dig into the contracts and expenditures tied to the refineries’ projects.
“The Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law strongly believe that getting to the root of this matter will help the Federal Government to account for how public resources were squandered on the controversial refineries’ repairs undertaken under the Kyari leadership,” the petition stated.
Winifred Adekunle, a deputy director at the AGF’s office, received the petition on behalf of the Attorney General. She assured the lawyers that their demands would be forwarded and addressed appropriately.
Article updated 3 days ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
