The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday grilled former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, over billions of dollars spent on Nigeria’s moribund refineries.
Kyari, who arrived at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja in the morning, had his international passport seized and was still being questioned as at 8:30pm, raising speculation about his detention.
Investigators are probing how more than $2 billion earmarked for Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) of the refineries was spent, including $1.55 billion for the Port Harcourt Refinery, $740.6 million for Kaduna Refinery and $656.9 million for Warri Refinery.
They are also examining the contracts awarded during Kyari’s tenure, as well as how N4.8 trillion in operating costs was incurred despite the plants being largely idle. Some former senior officials have reportedly refunded portions of the TAM funds to the anti-graft agency.
Kyari, who headed the NNPCL from 2019 until April 2025, has consistently maintained he has nothing to hide. In a statement titled “Hard Questions, Honest Answers”, he said: “I have done my part; the EFCC must do theirs. When each of us does our duty – without fear or favour, with honour, respect and commitment – Nigeria moves forward.”
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The EFCC inquiry follows years of failed attempts to revive Nigeria’s four state-run refineries – two in Port Harcourt and one each in Warri and Kaduna – which have a combined installed capacity of 445,000 barrels per day but remain largely non-functional despite repeated repairs and more than $18 billion spent since 2010.
Kyari oversaw the much-publicised reopening of the Port Harcourt Refinery in November 2024, but operations were halted in May 2025 by his successor, Bayo Ojulari, citing massive losses and technical challenges.
The EFCC said the current phase of its investigation would focus on TAM spending, followed by a probe of “humongous contracts” awarded during Kyari’s tenure.
