By Nurudeen Shotayo

Copyright pulse

A coalition of civic groups under the banner of the Coalition for Accountability in Public Resources (CAPR) has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to go beyond “symbolic gestures” and recover every dollar of the $7.2 billion allegedly mismanaged under former Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) boss, Mele Kyari, during failed refinery turnaround projects.

In a statement issued Monday in Abuja and signed by its National President, Comrade Ebiowei Ogoniba, CAPR accused the EFCC of “playing to the gallery” by merely freezing Kyari’s bank accounts while his children and relatives allegedly continue laundering illicit proceeds through real estate, foreign schools, luxury assets, and business ventures both at home and abroad.

Kyari, who was interrogated earlier this month and released, is under EFCC investigation for alleged diversion of funds earmarked for refinery rehabilitation — projects that left the country with non-functional refineries despite billions being disbursed.

“Freezing accounts is not justice. Nigerians are not interested in token gestures,” Ogoniba declared. “What the EFCC owes this nation is full recovery of the billions looted under Kyari’s supervision. That includes tracing the investments of his children, relatives, and cronies.”

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The coalition described the scandal as a betrayal that has worsened Nigeria’s economic crisis, forcing reliance on fuel imports, inflating costs, and crippling industries once sustained by affordable energy.

According to Ogoniba, “Kyari presided over the darkest chapter in our oil sector. He promised to fix four refineries but left them in worse shape. Today, Nigerians pay the price while his children live obscenely on the ruins of national resources.”

CAPR further accused the EFCC of selective justice, noting that civil servants face public trials for minor infractions while politically connected figures are shielded.

“Nigerians are tired of theatrics. Unless the EFCC goes after the network of relatives and associates hiding this stolen wealth, their credibility will continue to sink,” the group said.

The coalition also called on President Bola Tinubu to demonstrate his government’s anti-corruption resolve by ensuring that those implicated in the refinery scandal face prosecution and full asset recovery.

“The refinery fraud is why small factories are shutting down, why millions of youths are jobless, and why transport costs remain unbearable. If this government is serious about reforms, it must insist that every kobo looted is returned,” Ogoniba stated.

Warning against attempts to sweep the matter under the carpet, CAPR stressed that transparency on the status of investigations is non-negotiable.

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The coalition vowed to sustain pressure, urging civil society, labour unions, and the media to hold the EFCC accountable.

“The days of empty drama are over,” Ogoniba warned. “If the EFCC fails to do its duty, civil society will not hesitate to mobilise mass protests. History will remember whether the Commission chose justice or complicity.”