A coalition of 42 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) has revealed the existence of a fresh plot by embittered oil thieves to smear the image of Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). The CSOs claim that these oil thieves, whose businesses have been affected by the recent stoppage of payment for fuel subsidy by the Federal Government and the crackdown on oil theft and pipeline vandalism under Kyari’s leadership, are attempting to blackmail and tarnish his reputation.

According to the statement released by the CSOs, the oil thieves have engaged fictitious and unknown groups to organize protests and public disturbances in the name of fighting for public interest over the temporary pain experienced due to the subsidy removal. The CSOs assert that the oil thieves have repeatedly failed in their attempts to malign Kyari, resorting to spreading fake news and hiring faceless groups to push their agenda.

The CSOs call on security agencies to focus their attention on these groups and their sponsors, urging Nigerians to disregard their efforts. They defend Kyari’s stance and fight against oil thieves who exploit Nigeria’s resources through fuel subsidy payments and crude oil theft. They praise Kyari for his transparency, accountability, and efforts to make NNPC a profit-making entity after years of operating at a loss.

The CSOs claim that under Kyari’s leadership, NNPC has seen an increase in daily oil production to 1.6 million barrels per day and has won the confidence of nations and investors worldwide. They stress that the ongoing attack against Kyari and the NNPCL will not deter him from his commitment to combat corruption and foster transparency in the oil sector.

The coalition calls on security agencies to investigate these faceless groups and their sponsors, who they believe are attempting to deceive the public and loot the nation’s economy. The CSOs believe that Nigerians are aware of their games and that their efforts to tarnish Kyari’s image will ultimately fail

Part of the statement read: “Since Kyari assumed office, even as the Group Managing Director of the defunct NNPC, he has operated a very transparent system.

“Several times, he has made the books of the oil company open for public scrutiny.

“Nigerians should also know that for the first time in over 40 years of its existence, the NNPCL under Kyari is beginning to win the war against corruption in the system, pipeline vandalism, and oil theft, which has led to a major increase in daily oil production, reaching 1.6 million barrels per day.

“Nations and investors all over the world are beginning to win the confidence of the NNPCL courtesy of the great innovations introduced into the system by Kyari.

“We further use this medium to call on security to investigate these faceless groups and their sponsors who are bent on killing the nation with lies and hatred in their bid to loot the economy,” the group noted.