EFCC Interrogates Ex-NNPCL Boss Mele Kyari Over Alleged Multi-Billion-Dollar Fraud
Story: written by Uzuh Rita September 11,2025
Former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, is under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged multi-billion-dollar fraud during his tenure at the state-owned oil giant.
Kyari was reportedly invited to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, where he was grilled by investigators on financial transactions linked to his leadership.
A senior source at the anti-graft agency confirmed the development, saying: “He is here with our investigators at the moment. That is all I can confirm for now.”
The probe is tied to alleged mismanagement of funds earmarked for Nigeria’s moribund refineries. Specifically, Kyari is being investigated in connection with a controversial $7.2 billion refinery turnaround maintenance project, which attracted heavy funding but failed to deliver results.
The investigation gained momentum last week after the Federal High Court in Abuja granted an interim order freezing four bank accounts allegedly linked to Kyari. Court filings revealed that the freeze order was to allow investigators trace the movement of funds and establish whether the accounts were used to launder illicit proceeds.
Kyari, who became GMD of the former Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in July 2019 and oversaw its transition into NNPCL in 2021, was removed from office in July 2024 following increasing public scrutiny of the company’s finances.
The EFCC has yet to release an official statement on the outcome of the interrogation, but sources suggest the case could mark one of the largest corruption scandals in Nigeria’s oil sector in recent years.
