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Mele Kyari willing to give account of his stewardship
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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Ex- Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Mr. Mele Kyari, yesterday declared that he was ready to give the account of himself as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) continued with its probe of sacked officials of the national oil company.
Kyari, who was at the helm of affairs at the NNPC between 2019 and 2025, before he was removed on April 2 by President Bola Tinubu, in a post on his X handle, maintained that he served the country with the fear of God.
Earlier, THISDAY learnt that the EFCC had begun investigation into the alleged abuse of office and misappropriation of funds by Kyari and a former Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Mr Umar Ajiya, as well as 12 others.
Apart from the duo, the anti-graft agency had also extended its dragnet to other NNPC officials that headed or were at various times involved in the rehabilitation of the government-owned refineries, which gulped nearly $3 billion.
A former Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Abubakar Lawal Yar’Adua; recently dismissed Managing Director of the Port Harcourt refinery, Ibrahim Onoja as well as a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) and the Warri refinery, Babatunde Bakare and Dikko Ahmed, ex-Head of the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries are also under the EFCC radar.
A document seen by THISDAY at the weekend further showed that aside from the aforementioned officials, the EFCC had also requested information on former Group Executive Director and CFO at the NNPC, Isiaka Abdulrazaq; one Ademoye Adeniji Jelili; Mustapha Magaji Sugungun, a former Kaduna refinery Managing Director; one Kayode Olusegun Adetokunbo; one Efiok Michael Akpan and another former head of the Warri refinery, Jimoh Olasunkanmi.
Also, on the list of those whose information the EFCC requested from the current leadership of the NNPC were: One Bello Kankaya as well as a Manager, Audit, at the NNPC, Desmond Inyamah.
THISDAY had also reported the sack of the Chief Health Safety and Environment (HSE) Officer of the national oil company, Mr Bala Wunti; and the Chief Compliance Officer, Lawal Sade, among 200 others
Senior members of President Bola Tinubu-led administration were also said to be pushing strongly for the sacked officials to be tried if found by the EFCC to have committed any infraction.
They were said to have been miffed by the mismanagement of the country’s commonwealth, especially in the last few years.
But in an apparent response to the media reports, Kyari hinted that he had been taking a rest since the dissolution of the NNPC board, noting that he would be willing to answer questions on his service at the company at any time.
“I served not only my country but also God. I am happy to account for my stewardship. Over the past few days and in particular in the past two hours, I have been inundated with calls from concerned family and friends over claims by an online newspaper that I was in the custody of the EFCC.
“This is clear mischief and a calculated attempt by the newspaper and its sponsors to achieve a desired outcome, which only they know. At present, I am taking a well-deserved rest after the dissolution of the management and board of the NNPCL, of which I was the Group Chief Executive.
“It should be stated that having served the NNPC and the NNPCL for 34 years, and 17 of those in management roles and especially the last 5 years and 9 months, I had little time for leave of even two weeks. So, I am thankful for the opportunity to serve under their Excellencies Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“I must emphasise that I served with the fear of God knowing fully well as a Muslim that if I do not account before man, I will account before Allah, and that I am better off accounting to the institutions of man. Therefore, having served in public capacity, I am willing and happy to account for my stewardship in this world,” the former GCEO wrote.
However, he explained that the resort to what he described as ‘disinformation’ does not serve anyone’s purpose, including the NNPC and the country in general.
According to him, it has the potential to send the wrong signals to investors and the international community.
Kyari urged the media to be circumspect and avoid being ‘stampeded’ into misleading the public on unverified stories or matters that are subject of further validation by relevant organisations.
Former Ogun State governor Segun Osoba says there is a coordinated political effort in the South to field several presidential candidates against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.
Speaking Saturday in Abeokuta during the announcement of APC presidential primary results, Osoba said the plot aims to split southern votes and weaken Tinubu’s chances.
He warned APC members against assuming the president faces no challengers, calling it a misleading narrative. “The enemies are many,” he told party stakeholders. “Let us not be caught off guard.”
Osoba cited former Anambra governor Peter Obi, former president Goodluck Jonathan, and Oyo governor Seyi Makinde as figures he said were positioning to divide the region’s vote. He urged APC supporters to mobilize early and avoid complacency.
He also credited Tinubu with delivering developmental projects to Ogun State under the current administration and called on residents to reciprocate with their support.
Osoba urged the party to prepare for what he described as the “real election” scheduled for January 2027.
Former Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after losing the party’s governorship primary in Nasarawa State.
Mr Adamu lost the governorship ticket to Senator Ahmed Wadada after polling a total of 49,675 votes in the exercise. Mr Wadada secured 195, 285 votes to emerge the party’s governorship candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The former IGP later expressed his concerns over alleged attempts to manipulate the outcome of the election.
In a letter addressed to the APC executives in Makama ward in Lafia on Monday, Mr Adamu said his decision to leave the ruling APC was driven by alleged irregularities in the election.
He stated, “Today I addressed my Letter to you the ward executives especially the ward chairman of my decision to resign from the All Progressives Congress (APC), with immediate effect.
“This decision was not taken lightly however, recent developments within the party especially the conduct of the governorship primary election processes in Nasarawa state have made it difficult for me to continue with my political activities under the platform of the party.”
He noted that the exercise fell short of transparency and equal opportunity that should guide the affairs of any democratic party.
“I strongly believe that internal democracy, fairness, transparency and equal opportunity for aspirants and members guide the affairs of any democratic political party”
“Unfortunately the event surrounding the primary election did not reflect this principle and have led to loss of confidence in the party’s leadership and the processes in the state,” the ex-IGP explained.
Mr Adamu thanked members of the party for their support and vowed to pursue his political aspirations through another platform.
News
Ex-Katsina Governor’s Aide Nura Aliyu Arrested for Masterminding Abduction of 8-Year-Old Boy Set To Contest For State House of Assembly Seat Under APC
The Katsina State Police Command has arrested a former Senior Special Assistant to the Katsina State Governor on Community Development Programme (CDP), Nura Aliyu, for allegedly masterminding the abduction of an eight-year-old boy.
Aliyu, 39, was arrested alongside five other suspects over their alleged involvement in the kidnapping incident, according to a statement by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu.
Although the police statement did not specifically confirm his former role under Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, investigations indicated that Aliyu previously served in the position before resigning to contest for the Batsari Constituency seat in the Katsina State House of Assembly.
The police said the victim was abducted on May 13, 2026, at about 6:00 p.m. while returning from an Islamic school in the area.
According to the Command, the suspects later contacted the victim’s family the following day and demanded a ransom of N50 million for his release. After negotiations, the family reportedly paid N17 million before the child was freed.
The police spokesperson added that during investigation, operatives recovered N7.5 million from the suspects, part of the ransom paid, along with a Peugeot 307 car and a Boxer motorcycle, among other exhibits.
He also disclosed that the suspects confessed to the crime during interrogation and named one Abdul, currently at large, as a member of the syndicate.
“In response to the report, operatives of the newly established Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) of the Command swung into action. Acting on credible intelligence, operatives tracked and arrested six members of the syndicate on May 23, 2026,” the statement said.
The suspects arrested include Nura Aliyu, Abubakar Aminu, Ibrahim Muhammad, Iliyasu Sani, Abubakar Muhammad, and Abdullahi Isma’il.
The Command said efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspect, while commending the operatives for what it described as a swift and intelligence-driven operation.
Katsina State Commissioner of Police, Ali Umar Fage, reiterated the Command’s commitment to tackling kidnapping and other violent crimes, adding that the suspects would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.
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