The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is currently interrogating Mele Kyari, the former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), over alleged financial misconduct during his tenure.
Kyari arrived at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja at about 2:15 pm, where he is being questioned by investigators regarding financial transactions while he was at the helm of the state-owned oil company.
The investigation is connected to a $7.2 billion refinery’s turnaround maintenance project, which has been under scrutiny for alleged irregularities.
Additionally, four bank accounts linked to Kyari have been temporarily frozen by the Federal High Court in Abuja, pending further investigations into allegations of fraud.
The accounts, which are domiciled with Jaiz Bank, contain a total of N661,464,601.50, suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
The EFCC had placed Kyari on its watch list and obtained a court order to freeze the accounts, arguing that they were linked to suspicious transactions and needed to be preserved pending the conclusion of the investigation.
Kyari served as GMD of the NNPCL from 2019 until his replacement in July 2024, overseeing reforms, including the transition of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation into a limited liability company.