21.8.2025
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been urged to go beyond freezing the local bank accounts of former Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Group CEO, Mr. Mele Kyari.
The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) and the Coalition of National Civil Society Organisations (CNCSOs) made the call against the background of investigations into alleged embezzlement of funds meant for the turn around maintenances of the refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna.
According to the CNPP the court order freezing four Jaiz Bank accounts linked to the ex-NNPCL boss is “a welcome first step” but warned that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) must not reduce the scandal to another round of media sensation.
“For years, we raised the alarm that Mele Kyari’s management of NNPCL was fraudulent, riddled with looting, and protected by the Buhari presidency. Our calls were ignored, our warnings suppressed. Today’s EFCC action has vindicated us,” the CNPP and the CSOs declared in a statement jointly signed by the CNPP’s Secretary-General, Comrade James Ezema, and the National Secretary of CNCSOs, Alhaji Ali Abacha.
They added that the EFCC must go beyond freezing accounts and activate INTERPOL to trace Kyari, arrest him, and extradite him back to Nigeria to face questioning and prosecution.
“Now, ₦661,464,601.50 has been tracked into suspicious Jaiz Bank accounts, disguised as NGO funds and book launch donations. That is only the tip of the iceberg. The real looting runs into trillions
“This is a litmus test for Nigeria’s fight against corruption. The oil wealth of this country has been stolen while citizens suffer hunger and poverty. If this government is serious, Mele Kyari and every accomplice must be extradited, prosecuted, and stripped of their loot. Nigerians demand justice, not excuses,” the statement concluded.
Kyari...billions of dollars unaccountable.