The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has begun probing the allegations of abusing of office and misappropriation of funds by the immediate past Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, and other top officials.
The investigation is reportedly connected to some $2.896 billion allegedly spent on refinery rehabilitation projects under their watch.
Also being investigated are 13 other former senior executives of the national oil firm, EFCC said in a letter addressed to the current NNPC Managing Director.
The letter, with reference number CR:3000/EFCC/ABJ/HQ/SDC.2/NNPC/VOL.1/698, dated 28 April, outlined the officials to include Abubakar Yar’Adua, Mele Kyari, Isiaka Abdulrazak, Umar Ajiya, Dikko Ahmed, Ibrahim Onoja, Ademoye Jelili, and Mustapha Sugungun.
Others are: Kayode Adetokunbo, Efiok Akpan, Babatunde Bakare, Jimoh Olasunkanmi, Bello Kankaya and Desmond Inyama.
In its request, the anti-graft agency asked the NNPCL to provide certified true copies of the emoluments and allowances of the listed officials, including those who have retired.
The memo read: “The commission is investigating a case of abuse of office and misappropriation of funds in which the underlisted officials of your organisation featured.”
The officials were apprehended over the alleged mismanagement of $2.96 billion earmarked for refinery rehabilitation projects.
Sources within the EFCC revealed that the arrested officials, including former Port Harcourt Refining Company MD Ibrahim Onoja and Warri Refinery’s Efifia Chu, are being investigated for their roles in the alleged diversion and misappropriation of funds allocated for the turnaround maintenance of the refineries.
SaharaReporters reported in December 2024 that the Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company (WRPC), with a capacity of 125,000 barrels per day, which was announced to have resumed production in Warri, Delta State, was producing only Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) otherwise known as diesel and Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK).
The Warri Refinery is far from turning out Premium Motor Spirit (otherwise known as petrol) which is believed to be the mostly demanded commodity as only one of the three plants in the facility is working,” the staff had revealed to SaharaReporters.
Meanwhile, according to EFCC investigators, a total of $1.56 billion was allocated to the Port Harcourt refinery, $740.7 million to the Kaduna refinery, and $657 million to the Warri refinery.
Additionally, EFCC has launched a formal probe into Mele Kyari, the immediate past Group CEO of NNPCL, along with 13 other former top executives. An internal NNPCL memo dated April 28, 2025, confirmed the request for financial records by the anti-graft agency.
Despite claims of recommissioning, the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries have underperformed or completely shut down since operations resumed in late 2024. The Warri refinery, with a 125,000 barrels per day capacity, shut down again in January 2025 due to a critical fault in its Crude Distillation Unit Main Heater.
The Port Harcourt refinery, which reportedly cost $1.5 billion to rehabilitate, has operated below 40% of its capacity since November 2024.
A document from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority disclosed that Warri’s $897 million revamp yielded no Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), with activities at the plant largely stalled. Marketers confirmed no fuel lifting has taken place from Warri since its supposed revival.
Energy experts and industry stakeholders have accused NNPCL of deceiving Nigerians. Energy consultant Kelvin Emmanuel described the televised recommissioning as a “charade,” stating that the refineries lack the infrastructure, such as catalytic reforming units and active crude pipelines, to support real operations.
