Mele Kyari, a former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, has refuted rumors claiming that he is being held by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
He dismissed the reports as deliberate attempts to discredit him, insisting that he is simply taking a break after the dissolution of the NNPC board and management.
Kyari emphasized his readiness to cooperate with any lawful investigations into his tenure.
The removal of the chairman, Pius Akinyelure, and Mele Kyari himself by President Bola Tinubu. Consequently, the President appointed Bashir Ojulari as the new CEO, effective from April 2, 2025.
“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 Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
This is clear mischief and a calculated attempt by the newspaper and its sponsors to achieve a desired outcome, which only them know,” Kyari wrote on Saturday.
Mele Kyari, who noted that he served the NNPCL for 34 years—nearly six of which were as the head of the organisation—emphasized that his record speaks for itself, stressing that he carried out his duties with transparency and reverence for both national institutions and divine accountability.
“I must emphasize 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… I am happy to account for my stewardship in this world,” he declared.
Calling on the media to act with responsibility and restraint, Kyari warned that the spread of unverified claims could have damaging consequences for national interest, particularly in the eyes of the international community.
“The resort to disinformation does not serve anyone’s purpose, the NNPCL or the country in general, as it has the potential to send the wrong signals to investors and the international community,” he cautioned
Mele Kyari thanked friends and family who reached out and assured them of his availability to respond to “all lawful queries.”
