On Monday, May 12, 2025, a group of Nigerians in London under the name Rescue Nigeria Now staged a protest at the Nigerian High Commission and the UK Home Office.
They called for the deportation of former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, so he can face several corruption investigations in Nigeria.
The protesters held up signs with messages such as “Withdraw Mele Kyari’s residency now!”, “Go home and face EFCC now!”, and “London is not for public officials who abused public trust.” They also submitted formal petitions to both Nigerian and UK authorities, accusing Kyari of escaping justice.
In a letter to the Nigerian High Commissioner in the UK, the group expressed disappointment that Kyari was still living in the UK, despite what they described as “mountains of audit queries, petitions, and evidence” showing he was involved in corruption while leading the 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.
They urged the Nigerian High Commission to stop giving any form of official recognition to Kyari until he returns to Nigeria to answer questions from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other investigative bodies.
The petition accused Kyari of overseeing the misuse of billions of dollars that were meant to repair refineries in Warri, Kaduna, and Port Harcourt. They claimed that despite the funds spent, the refineries are still not working, and Nigeria continues to import fuel even though it is Africa’s largest oil-producing country.
“The nation received no tangible infrastructural improvement,” the petition added, calling NNPCL under Kyari an “impenetrable black box.”
The group also claimed that Kyari led a network of individuals who made money through shady fuel importation deals. These actions, according to the group, made Nigeria’s economy worse and caused problems for ordinary people like fuel scarcity, higher prices, and false subsidy claims.
They accused Kyari of managing a corrupt subsidy system filled with lies and favoritism.
“Figures contradicted themselves, audits were ignored, and whistleblower testimonies point to fraudulent invoicing, overblown subsidy claims, and offshore transactions,” the petition stated.
The group praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s removal of the fuel subsidy, calling it “visionary,” but blamed Kyari for using the subsidy as “an ideological tool of deceit,” which they said increased economic hardship for Nigerians.
In a separate letter to the UK Home Office, the group said allowing Kyari to remain in the UK would go against global efforts to fight corruption. They claimed he had moved stolen money into UK bank accounts, possibly breaking the UK’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 protesters urged British authorities to use existing agreements between the UK and Nigeria to deport Kyari and help recover stolen public funds.
“This is not just a petition; it is a moral, civic, and nationalistic demand. Deport Mele Kyari now,” they chanted.
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