A coalition of civil society organisations under the umbrella of the Civil Society Alliance for Transparency and Development (CSATD) has threatened to commence an indefinite protest at the National Assembly from Tuesday, July 28, over what it described as delays in investigations into allegations of financial misconduct involving former Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, and members of his management team.

In a statement signed by its Convener and National Coordinator, Comrade Mohammed Basah, the coalition said the planned demonstration was aimed at pressing for what it called a thorough and transparent investigation into the allegations.

The group argued that corruption remains one of the major obstacles to Nigeria’s development, alleging that the failure to conclude high-profile investigations has weakened public confidence in anti-corruption efforts.

According to the coalition, persistent corruption has contributed to widespread poverty, unemployment and economic hardship across the country.
CSATD cited National Bureau of Statistics data indicating that about 133 million Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty, saying the situation underscores the need for greater accountability in public office.

The coalition also referenced previous and ongoing corruption cases involving former public officials, including former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele and former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), arguing that recovered assets in such cases illustrate the scale of alleged financial misconduct in government.

The coalition also referred to allegations contained in audit reports and previous public discussions relating to refinery rehabilitation costs, crude-for-fuel transactions, revenue deductions, crude-backed financing arrangements and fuel subsidy-related issues.

CSATD expressed dissatisfaction with what it described as the slow pace of legislative inquiries into the allegations, particularly criticising the Senate Committee on Public Accounts over the status of its probe into alleged financial irregularities involving the NNPCL.

The coalition also questioned the Senate’s handling of Kyari’s reported failure to appear before lawmakers, citing reports of differing positions within the Senate over calls for stronger enforcement measures.

It further alleged that anti-corruption agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), had not acted decisively on the allegations.

The coalition, however, did not present documentary evidence to substantiate its claims that the agencies had failed to carry out their responsibilities.
CSATD announced that its members intend to occupy the National Assembly complex with protest materials until they receive what they described as satisfactory responses from the Senate, the EFCC, the ICPC and other relevant authorities.

“As law-abiding citizens, we have communicated our concerns and if nothing is done to address them, we will occupy the National Assembly and exercise our constitutional right to peaceful protest until our demands are met,” the statement said.

The coalition also appealed to Nigerians and other civil society organisations to join the planned demonstration, describing it as part of a broader campaign to promote transparency, accountability and responsible governance.

The allegations contained in the coalition’s statement remain unproven, and no findings of wrongdoing have been made by a court or competent authority against Mele Kyari in relation to the claims referenced by the group. The Senate, EFCC, ICPC and Kyari had not responded to the coalition’s latest allegations at the time of filing this report.