THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has begun interrogating the immediate past Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, over allegations of financial impropriety during his tenure.
Sources within the commission, who spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Kyari was at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja today.
“He is here with our investigators at the moment. This is all I can confirm for now,” one official told Punch.
Kyari was reportedly invited to clarify issues surrounding certain financial transactions that occurred under his leadership of the state-owned oil giant.
The EFCC is currently probing alleged irregularities in the management of billions of dollars allocated for the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s refineries.
He had earlier been placed on the agency’s watch list in connection with the controversial $7.2 billion refinery turnaround maintenance project.
In a related development, the Federal High Court in Abuja recently ordered a temporary freeze on four bank accounts linked to the former NNPCL chief pending further investigations.
Kyari, who served as GMD of NNPCL from 2019 until his replacement in July 2024, oversaw major reforms in the oil company, including its transition from a public corporation into a limited liability company.