EFCC Releases Mele Kyari After Being Grilled Over Alleged Misuse Of Refinery Funds

The former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, has been released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja.

An EFCC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, confirmed that Mele Kyari was being questioned on Wednesday evening.

According to the source, Kyari, who had earlier been placed on a watchlist, arrived at the commission’s headquarters around 2:30 p.m. for interrogation.

The anti-graft agency is said to be probing how funds allocated for the maintenance of Nigeria’s refineries were managed during Mele Kyari’s tenure.

“Yes, he’s in our office. He will be ushered into where he will face interrogation by the crack detectives of the commission,” a highly-placed source told Daily Trust.

Although the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, could not be reached for comments on Wednesday evening, another source confirmed to The Guardian that Kyari was later released by the anti-graft agency.

The specifics of Wednesday’s interrogation are still unclear, but Mele Kyari is believed to be facing questions about how refinery maintenance funds were used.

Several other former officials of the national oil company have also been investigated over similar allegations.

KanyiDaily recalls that a Federal High Court in Abuja recently ordered the temporary freeze of four bank accounts belonging to Mele Kyari, over suspicion of conspiracy, abuse of office, and money laundering.