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A coalition of over 500 anti-corruption lawyers stormed the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) on Wednesday, intensifying pressure on the federal government to investigate Mele Kyari, the former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), over alleged corruption and mismanagement of refinery projects.
The protesters, under the banner of the Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law, submitted a petition demanding a full-scale investigation into what they described as "opaque and questionable transactions" during Kyari's tenure.
The protest marked the second day of demonstrations outside the Ministry of Justice in Abuja.
According to the petition co-signed by Barristers Emmanuel Agada and Jonathan Uchendu, billions of dollars allocated for the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s refineries have allegedly vanished without transparent accounting.
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Alleged $2bn Port Harcourt Refinery Fraud
![The Port Harcourt refinery is Nigeria's oldest, built in 1965, nine years after crude was first found under the marshy soil and creeks of the delta, where the Niger river meanders to the Gulf of Guinea. [Getty Images]](https://image.api.sportal365.com/process/smp-images-production/pulse.ng/26092024/7b58c185-872f-4d7b-93df-f4c73c0a42fe?operations=fit(1042:))
They specifically cited a controversial deal involving Matrix Energy Limited, which allegedly invested $400 million in the Port Harcourt Refinery despite a separate, government-approved $1.5 billion refurbishment plan.
“The NNPCL is now reportedly owing Matrix Energy more than $2 billion,” the lawyers wrote, claiming the debt is being serviced through crude oil allocations not backed by payment.
They urged the AGF to launch a fact-finding investigation, review all agreements signed under Kyari, and push for a commission of inquiry.
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“Getting to the root of this matter will help the Federal Government account for how public resources were squandered,” the petition stated.
Winifred Adekunle, a deputy director at the AGF’s office, received the petition and assured the group it would be forwarded to the Minister of Justice with urgency.