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EFCC Receives Petition Against Mele Kyari Promises Swift Investigation

Our Reporters3 weeks ago3 weeks ago04 mins

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has received a petition from a coalition of lawyers and civil society groups against the former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari. The petition, submitted on Friday, follows recent protests by the “Concerned Citizens Against Corruption” at the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja, where demonstrators called for a thorough probe into Kyari’s leadership and NNPCL’s transactions over the past five years. Similarly, on Wednesday, another group of lawyers under the banner of “Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law” marched to the Ministry of Justice to formally petition the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF). Following this, the group also submitted a parallel petition to the EFCC. Receiving the petition on behalf of the EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede, the commission’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale, assured the petitioners that the issues raised would be thoroughly investigated.“The issues raised in the petition will be looked into and addressed,” Oyewale stated. The petition accuses Kyari of monumental fraud, tax evasion, economic sabotage, and abuse of office during his tenure from July 2019 to February 2025. Led by Asika Raymond, the Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law alleged that Kyari, in collusion with certain contractors and consultants, inflated the costs of refinery rehabilitation projects, notably the Port Harcourt Refinery, where $1.5 billion was allegedly spent despite an initial $1 billion estimate for the rehabilitation of three refineries. The petition also highlights allegations of crude oil diversion, opaque financial transactions under the guise of “pipeline security” at a suspicious rate of 80,000 barrels per day, and irregularities in the $5 billion AKK Gas Pipeline Project. Further concerns were raised regarding fuel subsidy fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic when NNPCL reportedly increased petroleum imports, contrary to global trends of reduced fuel consumption. The petition questions the transparency of crude-backed loans worth $21.565 billion secured by NNPCL since 2019, alleging that the terms were unfavorable to Nigeria, ceding financial benefits to oil traders. Kyari is also accused of authorizing massive, undocumented spending on oil exploration projects without clear feasibility studies or demonstrated economic returns. The lawyers urged the EFCC to conduct a forensic audit of all payments made to consultants and contractors from 2019 to 2025, recover misappropriated funds, and collaborate with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to investigate suspected cases of tax evasion.

LPDC rejects Afe Babalola’s petition seeking Farotimi’s disbarment

Our Reporters5 months ago5 months ago03 mins

The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has rejected petition seeking the disbarment of Dele Farotimi, a human rights lawyer, by Emmanuel Chambers, Afe Babalola’s law firm. While rejecting the petition, the LPDC in its report which became public knowledge on Tuesday, determined that the alleged offences occurred in Farotimi’s capacity as an author, not during his practice as a legal professional. The committee then concluded that it lacked jurisdiction to address complaints about publications and advised aggrieved parties to seek redress in regular courts. READ ALSO: UPDATED: Dele Farotimi Released From Ekiti Prison “The publication is an intellectual property and not a conduct or action committed while practising as a Legal Practitioner. All aggrieved parties who find the publication ‘defamatory’ should ventilate their grievances through the regular courts,” LPDC’s report stated. Emmanuel Chambers had alleged in its 90-page petition that was sent to the LPDC on December 6, that Farotimi, in his book titled Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, made defamatory statements against the Supreme Court and the legal profession. The Chambers’ petition also accused Farotimi of distorting case facts, disrespecting fellow lawyers, and engaging in actions that obstructed justice for personal gain. READ ALSO: Afe Babalola’s Relative Vows Anyone Who Protests Farotimi’s Arrest in Ekiti ‘Will Suffer’ The petition claimed that the human rights lawyer’s book violated several sections of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2023 and requested that his name be struck off the Roll of Legal Practitioners. The LPDC is responsible for investigating and addressing cases of misconduct among legal professionals in Nigeria. The committee’s decision to reject the petition coincides with Farotimi’s release by the Ekiti State Police Command after spending three weeks in their custody. Farotimi’s arrest on December 3 was inspired by a petition the same Babalola had written to the police, claiming he had been defamed by the lawyer in his book.