A group of lawyers and civil rights activists on Wednesday stormed the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in Abuja over the alleged $4 billion refinery rehabilitation scandal involving a former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, Mele Kyari.
The group, under the aegis of Concerned Lawyers and Citizens Network, CLCN, accused the anti-graft agency of cover-up, while labeling the $4 billion allegedly squandered on failed refinery rehabilitation projects as “economic treason”.
CLCN spokesmen, Barr. Theophilus Ojonugwa, speaking on behalf of the protesters, demanded a forensic audit to trace misappropriated funds.
“This is not merely a financial crime; it is an assault on human dignity and a subversion of national development,” Ojonugwa declared, noting that the scandal has perpetuated Nigeria’s reliance on costly imported petroleum products.
The lawyers and rights activists linked the misappropriated $4 billion to unbuilt schools, unequipped hospitals, and lost jobs. They described the alleged misappropriation as a betrayal of intergenerational trust.
CLCN slammed the EFCC for what it described as “romance with corruption” and selective prosecution, noting that young Nigerians face harsher penalties for lesser offenses.
“Justice must be blind and uncompromising,” Ojonugwa insisted, warning that treating the $4 billion refinery scandal with velvet gloves risks cementing Nigeria’s image as a “sanctuary for looters”.
The group demanded immediate arrests, prosecution of indicted persons, and seizure of all assets tied to the scandal.
The Concerned Lawyers and Citizens Network, in the same vein, recommended an independent forensic audit by reputable international firms to ensure transparency in the matter.
The group urged President Bola Tinubu to fulfill his anti-corruption pledge by making the scandal a “watershed moment” in Nigeria’s fight against impunity.
“If $4 billion had been properly invested, Nigeria would be self-sufficient in refining today,” Ojonugwa lamented, underscoring the scandal’s double tragedy of lost funds and prolonged energy poverty.
Addressing the EFCC, the lawyers and rights activists called for decisive action to restore public trust, warning that Nigerians would hold the agency accountable.
“The destiny of our nation rests in the courage of its people,” Ojonugwa declared while urging Nigerians to resist complicity and continue demanding justice.
