Braving the spring weather, hundreds of Nigerian protesters gathered outside the UK Home Office and Nigerian High Commission in London on Monday, demanding the deportation of former Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) boss Mele Kyari to face corruption investigations in his home country.
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The demonstrators, operating under the banner of Rescue Nigeria Now (RNN), carried placards with bold messages that read, “Withdraw Mele Kyari’s residency now!” “Mele Kyari, go home and face the EFCC now!” and “London is not for public officials who abused public trust.”
“We see this as an affront to the people of Nigeria and an insult to the esteemed anti-corruption crusade of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the group declared in their formal petition submitted to the Nigerian High Commissioner.
The protesters allege that Kyari, who headed the state oil company from 2019 to 2025, fled Nigeria to escape accountability for alleged financial misconduct during his six-year tenure. Their petition outlined specific accusations, including claims that billions of dollars designated for rehabilitating refineries in Warri, Kaduna, and Port Harcourt “unaccountably vanished into a bureaucratic abyss” under his leadership.
A separate petition delivered to the UK Home Office highlighted potential international implications of harbouring individuals accused of corruption. The group suggested that Kyari’s presence in Britain indicates he may have transferred illicit funds to London bank accounts.
“We have cause to believe that for Mr. Kyari to have fled to the United Kingdom, he has transferred parts of the proceeds of his crimes to bank accounts in London,” the petition stated.
The coalition urged British authorities to honour international anti-corruption agreements between Nigeria and the United Kingdom by cooperating with Nigerian law enforcement agencies investigating Kyari. They specifically referenced the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which has reportedly received numerous petitions concerning Kyari’s tenure at NNPCL.
The protest comes amid growing scrutiny of Nigeria’s oil sector management, with recent reports from international financial institutions highlighting concerns about transparency and accountability in the country’s petroleum industry.
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