CHIKUN/KAJURU REP, HON. FIDELIX BAGUDU, ANNOUNCES NEW APPOINTMENTS TO STRENGTHEN INCLUSIVE GOVERNANCE. (PHOTO).
Hundreds of young Nigerian professionals, under the banner of the Young Professionals Forum (YPF), stormed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Embassy in Abuja on Wednesday, demanding the immediate deportation of Mele Kyari, former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). The protesters called for Kyari to return to Nigeria to face investigations into alleged corruption during his tenure from 2019 to 2025.
Led by Barrister Sambari Benjamin, the YPF accused Kyari of engaging in corrupt practices that severely impacted Nigeria’s economy, particularly its energy sector. The group alleged that Kyari’s leadership was marked by deliberate obstruction of local refining initiatives, personal enrichment, and a disregard for national interests, leading to crippled productivity, drained foreign exchange reserves, and increased consumer exposure to adulterated petroleum products.
“We believe Mele Kyari’s actions have brought shame to our nation,” Benjamin told the crowd. “His alleged corrupt practices have had devastating consequences for our economy and our people. We cannot stand idly by while those in positions of authority abuse their power for personal gain.”
The protesters urged the UAE government to deny Kyari residency or asylum and to blacklist him to prevent his escape from justice. They warned that granting him refuge would undermine Nigeria’s judicial process and send a damaging message to the country’s youth that accountability is optional for the elite. “The implications of granting haven to Kyari are manifold,” Benjamin added. “It would be a direct affront to the Nigerian judicial process and suggest that justice can be circumvented by those with financial means.”
The YPF called on the UAE to uphold its commitment to international cooperation and justice by ensuring Kyari faces the ongoing corruption probe in Nigeria. “We urge the UAE, a nation of high moral standing, not to become an escape route for controversial figures in Nigeria’s history,” Benjamin emphasized.
The protest follows growing public discontent over alleged financial mismanagement at NNPCL under Kyari’s leadership, including questionable refinery rehabilitation deals and opaque subsidy payments. Similar demonstrations have occurred in London, with diaspora groups planning further protests in the United States and UAE to pressure for a comprehensive judicial inquiry into Kyari’s tenure.
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