By OBSERVERS TIMES
Former Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Mele Kyari, is currently in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as a wide-ranging investigation into the affairs of the national oil company commences, OBSERVERS TIMES can authoritatively report.
Kyari, along with several other top NNPC officials recently relieved of their duties, are being grilled by the anti-graft agency over serious allegations of mismanagement of funds and abuse of office. Sources within the EFCC confirmed that Kyari was taken into custody on Friday and is expected to remain there throughout the weekend as the investigation progresses.
While EFCC officials have remained tight-lipped regarding the specifics of the probe, a leaked letter addressed to the newly appointed GCEO, Bayo Ojulari, has been circulating widely on social media. The letter, obtained by OBSERVERS TIMES, requests certified true copies of the allowances and emoluments of fourteen key NNPC officials, including those who have since retired. The individuals listed include prominent figures such as Abubakar Lawal Yar’ Adua, Mustapha Magaji Sugungun, and the detained former GCEO himself, Mele Kolo Kyari, among others.
This development follows a week of significant upheaval within the NNPC, including Ojulari’s decisive removal of the managing directors of the refineries in Kaduna, Port Harcourt, and Warri. Insiders familiar with the situation have informed OBSERVERS TIMES that this sweeping action is a direct response to mounting concerns over the “continued value erosion” plaguing Nigeria’s crucial refining sector.
As previously highlighted in an in-depth investigation by OBSERVERS TIMES, the previous NNPC management, under Kyari’s leadership, reportedly oversaw the expenditure of billions of dollars purportedly aimed at revamping the nation’s refineries. However, whistleblowers and internal sources have consistently indicated that these refineries remain far from achieving optimal output, raising serious questions about the utilization of these substantial funds.
Further underscoring the new management’s commitment to addressing these issues, Ojulari has also inaugurated a high-level assessment team, led by the Executive Vice President, Downstream, Mumuni Dagazzau. This team has been tasked with conducting an immediate operational assessment of all NNPC refineries to ascertain their current operational status and provide critical recommendations for improvement.
This latest development confirms OBSERVERS TIMES’ earlier reporting on Monday regarding the termination of services of a number of senior NNPC staff members. Notable figures such as Bala Wunti, the former head of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), and Ibrahim Onoja, the managing director of the Kaduna Refinery, were among those asked to depart. Lawal Sade, the former chief compliance officer and managing director of NNPC Trading, was also affected by the recent shake-up.
The detention of Mele Kyari and the ongoing EFCC investigation mark a significant escalation in the scrutiny of the NNPC’s past operations, seemingly validating concerns previously raised by OBSERVERS TIMES regarding potential financial mismanagement within the national oil conglomerate. The nation now awaits further details from the EFCC as this crucial investigation unfolds.
