CSOs Plan Protest, Demand Probe Into PH Refinery Rehab Under Kyari

More than 28 civil society organisations in the Niger Delta have announced plans to stage a peaceful protest and submit petitions demanding investigations into the controversial rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery during the tenure of former Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the coalition also expressed support for calls by members of the National Assembly for an investigation into Kyari’s tenure at the state-owned oil company.

The groups are expected to mobilise about 10,000 youths for the protest and petition submission scheduled for Tuesday, September 1, 2026. The petitions will be submitted to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

President-General and Coordinator of the Niger Delta Anti-Corruption Watch, Felix Oweifie Olotu, disclosed the planned action in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday.

Olotu said the petitions would draw the attention of the anti-graft agencies to allegations concerning the management of Nigeria’s petroleum resources, financial accountability and the Port Harcourt Refinery rehabilitation project, among other issues linked to the former NNPCL leadership.

He stressed that the coalition was not demanding that anyone be convicted without due process but wanted the relevant authorities to investigate the allegations and allow the law to take its course.

“We cannot allow Mele Kyari to simply go just like that. There are serious questions and allegations surrounding his tenure at NNPCL that deserve proper investigation,” Olotu said.

The development comes after the Senate Committee on Public Accounts reportedly ordered Kyari’s arrest in June following his failure to appear before the committee over audit queries concerning NNPCL’s finances between 2017 and 2023.

Kyari, however, disputed the arrest warrant, explaining that he had informed the committee that he was outside the country for medical reasons.

The coalition said its planned demonstration would be peaceful and lawful, insisting that its primary objective was to promote transparency and accountability rather than pronounce anyone guilty.

Olotu urged Niger Delta youths, traditional rulers, community leaders and other civil society organisations to participate in the mobilisation, while calling on the EFCC and CCB to conduct independent, comprehensive and transparent investigations into the allegations contained in the petitions.

The coalition further stated that anyone found to have committed criminal or ethical violations should face appropriate legal consequences, regardless of their position or status.