“Deport Mele Kyari now” – Nigerians in London demand probe of ex-NNPCL boss

Hundreds of Nigerians under the banner of Rescue Nigeria Now stormed the Nigerian High Commission and the UK Home Office in London on Monday, May 12, 2025, demanding the deportation of former Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, to face a slew of corruption investigations back home.

Chanting slogans and holding placards that read “Withdraw Mele Kyari’s residency now!”, “Go home and face EFCC now!”, and “London is not for public officials who abused public trust,” the protesters submitted formal petitions to both UK and Nigerian authorities, condemning what they described as Kyari’s “flight from accountability.”

In a letter to the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, the group expressed anger over Kyari’s continued presence in the UK despite “mountains of audit queries, petitions, and evidence” of alleged corruption tied to his tenure at NNPCL from 2019 to 2025.

“It is an affront to the Nigerian people and an insult to the anti-corruption efforts of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Mr. Kyari’s tenure was marred by unprecedented corruption and international embarrassment,,” the letter read.

The group called on the Nigerian High Commission to cease all official recognition of Kyari until he returns to Nigeria to face the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other investigative bodies.

The petition accused Kyari of presiding over the misappropriation of billions of dollars earmarked for the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s ailing refineries in Warri, Kaduna, and Port Harcourt.

According to them, despite the heavy investments, the refineries remained “moribund and perfunctorily maintained,” leaving Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, to rely on fuel imports.

“The nation received no tangible infrastructural improvement,” the petition said, adding that Kyari’s NNPCL had become an “impenetrable black box.”

The demonstrators also alleged that Kyari ran a “syndicate of racketeers” who profited from fraudulent fuel importation deals, further weakening the Nigerian economy and causing hardship for ordinary citizens through fuel scarcity, rising prices, and manipulated subsidy claims.

The letter slammed Kyari for overseeing a subsidy regime riddled with contradictions, cronyism, and opaque payments.

“Figures contradicted themselves, audits were ignored, and whistleblower testimonies point to fraudulent invoicing, overblown subsidy claims, and offshore transactions,” the petition said.

Although President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to remove the subsidy was termed “visionary,” the group accused Kyari of using it as “an ideological tool of deceit,” exacerbating the economic strain on Nigerians.

Addressing the UK Home Office, Rescue Nigeria Now said harbouring Kyari would undermine international anti-corruption efforts.

The group claimed Kyari had transferred illicit funds into UK bank accounts, possibly violating Britain’s anti-money laundering laws.

“We are aware that Mr. Kyari is currently residing in the United Kingdom, a development he carefully orchestrated to evade justice. The UK must not become a sanctuary for corrupt public officials,” the letter read.

The group urged British authorities to invoke existing UK-Nigeria treaties to expel Kyari and aid in the recovery of stolen assets.

“This is not just a petition; it is a moral, civic, and nationalistic demand. Deport Mele Kyari now,” the protesters chanted.