The Coalition of Civil Society Groups for Transparency in Governance has warned against the media trial of the former Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Engr. Mele Kyari, due to the antics of hirelings in the country.
Convener of the coalition, Comrade Solomon Adodo, at a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja, noted that there is a danger in trying Kyari in the media and creating the impression in the public that he is guilty of unfounded allegations leveled against him.
The coalition particularly frowned at the activities of some persons parading themselves as lawyers who have made themselves willing tools in the hands of those bent on tarnishing the image of Mele Kyari.
The coalition thereby expressed readiness to approach the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to unearth the true status of those tarnishing the image of the legal profession.
“How can a man who is yet to be investigated be already made to look guilty? With this kind of campaign, Anti-corruption Agencies will soon be vilified when they find nothing on the man, because someone or a group of persons have convicted him even without a charge,” he noted.
“This is the reason why a section of the media went into frenzy with the fake news of his arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), even when the man was resting in his house. This created unnecessary anxiety amongst his family members, friends, associates, and well-wishers.
“This should stop. It is very unfair. The Anti-Corruption Agencies are capable of doing their job. And he has said he will answer if called, having satisfaction in his heart that he served with honour, integrity, and most importantly, the fear of God.”
The coalition disclosed that on or before Wednesday, May 7, 2025, they would formally report them to the NBA for punitive measures.
They added: “We have them on record to have said that they are 500 lawyers who are pursuing this matter against Mallam Mele Kyari. They will provide the particulars of those lawyers because there should be a limit to mendacity.”
