The Afenifere Youth Wing has urged President Bola Tinubu to order an independent investigation into the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) over its continued fuel importation despite claims of refinery repairs.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Monday, Afenifere Youth Convener Isijola Shola accused the NNPCL of misleading Nigerians about its refining capacity while still relying heavily on imports.

“Despite claims that our refineries have been repaired, NNPCL continues to import refined petroleum products in massive quantities,” Shola said.

He pointed out that Nigerians had trusted the corporation’s promises to end fuel scarcity but were instead faced with continued petrol queues and economic hardship.

According to Shola, the corporation failed to meet its deadlines for refinery rehabilitation despite spending millions of dollars. “Instead, we hear cock-and-bull stories while Nigerians suffer and lose money buying overpriced black-market fuel,” he added.

Citing data from January, Shola revealed that NNPCL was directly responsible for 72.25% of fuel imports, questioning why the corporation was still importing at such a high level if local refining had resumed.

He also highlighted figures from the last quarter of 2024, showing that Nigeria imported 3.6 million metric tonnes of petrol and diesel, with NNPCL accounting for nearly 69% of the total.

“To make matters worse, NNPCL claimed to have restarted refining at Port Harcourt and Warri while simultaneously increasing imports. This contradiction raises serious concerns,” he said.

Afenifere also questioned the source of foreign exchange used for these imports, linking the naira’s sharp devaluation to NNPCL’s buying spree.

The group called for the immediate suspension of NNPCL’s top officials, including Group Chief Executive Officer Mele Kyari, to ensure an impartial probe.

“To prevent interference, we urge President Tinubu to suspend Kyari and his associates while an independent investigation is conducted,” Shola stated

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He insisted that the probe must examine how funds meant for refinery repairs were spent, why fuel imports continue despite local refining claims, and whether any fraudulent activities occurred in the process.

“Anything short of a full investigation will leave Nigerians with no choice but to believe that the President is complicit in what NNPCL has done to them,” he said.