More Nigerians in the United Kingdom have intensified calls for the immediate investigation and prosecution of former Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, over alleged financial infractions committed during his tenure between 2019 and 2025.
The latest demonstration, organized by the civil society coalition Rescue Nigeria Now, took place simultaneously at the Nigerian High Commission and the UK Home Office in London, with protesters demanding that Kyari be stripped of any form of official recognition or residency rights in the United Kingdom.
Protesters submitted formal petitions to both the Nigerian High Commission and the UK Home Office, demanding action against the former NNPCL boss.
The demonstrators carried placards with inscriptions including, “Withdraw Mele Kyari’s residency now!”, “Mele Kyari, go home and face EFCC now!”, and “London is not for public officials who abused public trust.”
In a letter addressed to the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, the group expressed outrage over Kyari’s continued presence in the UK despite numerous allegations of financial misconduct pending against him in Nigeria.
“We are profoundly disillusioned and appalled by the effrontery with which Mr. Kyari has been walking in the street of London with impunity, while the tables of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria are flooded with so much petitions, audit queries, and evidences on the many alleged corrupt financial dealings and infraction that have been attached to his tenure which spanned from 2019 to 2025.”
The protesters accused Kyari of deliberately fleeing Nigeria to evade accountability and warned UK authorities against offering him a safe haven.
What the group is saying
Rescue Nigeria Now described Kyari’s continued freedom as “an affront to the people of Nigeria” and “an insult to the anti-corruption crusade” being promoted by the federal government.
“Your Excellency, this letter is not merely a petition—it is a demand— A moral, civic, and nationalistic demand. We, therefore, demand in the strongest terms that the Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom refrains from according him any form of official reception, recognition, or diplomatic courtesy until he returns to Nigeria to submit himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other relevant investigative bodies for the myriad allegations that trail his tenure..”
The UK angle
The group also appealed to the UK authorities to uphold international anti-corruption treaties and bilateral agreements with Nigeria, which aim to prevent corrupt individuals from finding refuge abroad.
“The United Kingdom and Nigeria have established reciprocal treaties and agreements to curtail their citizens from willfully engaging in corruption and other criminal activities. This relationship is intended to ensure that justice is served and that fugitive criminals do not find safe havens in foreign countries.
“Considering the allegation of corruption and the severe impact on Nigeria, we hereby request that the Home Office expel Mr. Mele Kyari so that he can return to Nigeria. It is imperative that he faces justice for his actions and that the stolen funds are recovered to aid in the nation’s recovery and development,” the group noted.
More insights
Subsequently, on 2 April 2025, President Bola Tinubu approved the reconstitution of the NNPC Limited board, removing both the Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, and the board chairman, Chief Pius Akinyelure.
In their place, the president appointed Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the new Group CEO and Ahmadu Musa Kida as the non-executive chairman.
President Tinubu emphasized that the restructuring of the board was critical for improving operational efficiency, restoring investor confidence, enhancing local content, stimulating economic growth, and advancing gas commercialisation and energy diversification.
Earlier in April 2025, a group of protesters stormed the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), demanding the prosecution of the former NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari.
