In a dramatic display of civic outrage, scores of Nigerians residing in the United Kingdom staged a coordinated protest in London on Monday, demanding the immediate deportation of former Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, to face corruption investigations in Nigeria.
The protest, organized by a civil advocacy group under the banner Rescue Nigeria Now, took place outside both the Nigerian High Commission and the UK Home Office. Protesters, chanting anti-corruption slogans and waving placards with inscriptions such as “Withdraw Mele Kyari’s Residency Now!”, “Kyari Must Face EFCC!”, and “London is Not a Safe Haven for Looters!”, submitted formal petitions to both institutions.
The demonstrators accused Mele Kyari of fleeing Nigeria to escape accountability for widespread allegations of financial misconduct during his leadership of NNPCL from 2019 to 2025.
In a strongly worded letter to the Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK, the group expressed dismay over Kyari’s presence in London while multiple petitions, audit reports, and whistleblower revelations concerning his tenure reportedly await action at Nigeria’s anti-graft agencies, particularly the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“We are profoundly disillusioned and appalled by the effrontery with which Mr. Kyari has been walking the streets of London with impunity,
“It is an affront to Nigerians and to the Federal Government’s anti-corruption stance that someone with such a clouded tenure at NNPCL is granted the liberty to evade justice”the letter read.
The petition detailed multiple allegations, including the misappropriation of billions of dollars allocated for the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s moribund refineries in Warri, Port Harcourt, and Kaduna.
“Despite heavy budgetary provisions for refinery rehabilitation under Mr. Kyari’s leadership, the Nigerian state witnessed no tangible output or infrastructural improvement. Instead, Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer, continued importing refined petroleum products, thereby worsening foreign exchange pressures and eroding the naira,” the group stated.
The protesters also alleged that Kyari operated a powerful syndicate that profited from opaque fuel subsidy arrangements. They referenced unverified subsidy payments running into trillions of naira, shrouded in secrecy, lacking audit trails or transparent reporting.
“The fuel subsidy regime under Mr. Kyari’s watch became a theatre of contradictions, questionable invoicing, and alleged clandestine offshore payments. While Nigerians languished in fuel queues, a select few enriched themselves under the guise of subsidy relief,” the petition added.
Addressing the UK Home Office, Rescue Nigeria Now urged the British authorities to revoke Kyari’s residency and freeze any assets linked to the alleged proceeds of corruption. They cited existing anti-money laundering treaties and anti-corruption cooperation frameworks between Nigeria and the UK.
“There is credible cause to believe that Mr. Kyari transferred illicit funds to UK bank accounts in a deliberate attempt to shield his assets and escape justice. This undermines the UK’s commitment to global anti-corruption efforts and violates its financial laws,” the group argued.
The protest mark a growing trend among diaspora Nigerians taking up civic action to demand transparency and accountability in public service. It also underscores rising concerns that the UK could become a refuge for high-profile Nigerian officials escaping justice.
As pressure mounts, the ball is now in the court of both Nigerian and British authorities to respond to the growing demand for Mele Kyari’s return and prosecution. Meanwhile, the EFCC is believed to be intensifying its investigations, with multiple whistleblower testimonies and documents reportedly under review.
