N’Delta coalition backs Senate, demands EFCC, CCB probe of Kyari on PH Refinery

A coalition of over 28 civil society organisations across the Niger Delta has thrown irs weight behind the Senate, demanding a full investigation into the controversial Port Harcourt Refinery rehabilitation project undertaken during the tenure of the former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited NNPCL, Mallam Mele Kyari.

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts had in June ordered the arrest of Kyari, following his failure to appear before the committee investigating audit queries relating to NNPCL’s finances between 2017 and 2023.

Accordingly, the coalition said it plans to submit a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC and the Code of Conduct Bureau CCB.

President-General and Coordinator of the Niger Delta Anti-Corruption Watch, Engr. Felix Oweifie Olotu, disclosed this in a statement issued Monday in Abuja, announcing plans to mobilise 10,000 youths for a peaceful protest and petition submission on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.

Olotu said the coalition’s petition would draw the attention of the EFCC and CCB to various allegations bordering on the management of Nigeria’s petroleum resources, financial accountability, and the Port Harcourt Refinery rehabilitation project, among other matters concerning the former NNPCL management.

“We cannot allow Mele Kyari to simply go just like that. There are serious questions and allegations surrounding his tenure at NNPCL that deserve proper investigation. We are not asking anyone to be convicted without due process; we are demanding that the appropriate agencies investigate the allegations and allow the law to take its course,” Olotu said.

The coalition also threw its weight behind recent calls from members of the National Assembly for Kyari’s tenure to be investigated. Kyari had subsequently disputed the warrant, saying he informed the committee that he was abroad for medical reasons.

Olotu maintained that the planned mobilisation will be peaceful, lawful and focused on accountability rather than a declaration of guilt against any individual, adding that public officials who have managed Nigeria’s resources must be prepared to account for their stewardship whenever credible allegations are raised.

He called on all well-meaning Niger Deltans, youths, traditional leaders, civil society organisations, and community leaders to join the mobilisation and support the petition to the EFCC and CCB, urging the two agencies to conduct an independent, comprehensive and transparent investigation into all allegations contained in the petition.

The coalition insisted that if the investigations established criminal or ethical violations, appropriate legal consequences should follow, irrespective of the status or position of the person involved.

“The Niger Delta has a legitimate interest in how the resources of our region are managed. We will continue to demand transparency, accountability and justice through lawful and democratic means,” Olotu stated.