● Once the Powerful Boss of Nigeria’s Oil Empire, Now Dodging Shadows Across Global Cities
● From London to Makkah, a Former Energy Czar Fights for Reprieve
Once hailed as the oil czar of Africa’s largest crude-producing nation, Mele Kolo Kyari now cuts the figure of a restless man circling the globe, no longer in triumph but in retreat. The former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), once swaddled in influence and immunity, now moves under the fear impending prosecution.
From the cobbled streets of London to the glittering skyline of Dubai, and the sacred dust of Makkah, Kyari’s movements tell a story of urgency and unease. Highly placed sources reveal that the once-powerful NNPCL boss is now desperately courting powerful allies, searching for cover from a growing storm: an impending EFCC case built on allegations of fraud, mismanagement, and sabotage. His flight is no longer about convenience, it is survival. …CONTINUE READING
How are the mighty fallen? Back when he was in power, Mele Kyari wielded influence that touched every facet of Nigeria’s economic lifeblood. From oil contracts to refinery budgets, his word was law, and his presence commanded deference. But today, that commanding figure appears to have lost the confidence of authority. Now, he moves with the desperation of a man cornered by the slow but sure wheels of justice.
A dossier detailing the financial irregularities under Kyari’s leadership at NNPCL is reportedly near completion. The allegations range from multi-billion-dollar misappropriations to collusion in crude oil theft and sabotage of national refineries. According to insiders, the Commission has been meticulous, gathering bank records, internal memos, whistleblower testimony, and forensic audits.
Back when Kyari was in power, the same allegations might have been drowned under waves of influence. Kyari was not just a technocrat; he was a power broker whose connections reached deep into the presidency and beyond. But that tide has turned. With a new administration distancing itself from the legacies of past appointees, Kyari has found himself stripped of the political cover that once shielded him. The doors he once walked through with ease are no longer open. And those who once sang his praises are now conspicuously silent.
He’s knocking on every powerful door he can find—former generals, governors, captains of industry—but the silence he’s receiving is deafening, according to findings. There are even whispers that Kyari has reached out to international lobbyists and law firms, seeking ways to stave off arrest or negotiate a quiet settlement. But the EFCC, perhaps sensing the national mood, seems unwilling to retreat. Bringing Kyari to book would be a message to all those who once believed that power could immunise them from scrutiny.
While no formal arrest warrant has yet been issued, the pressure is mounting. Kyari, once the face of Nigeria’s most powerful corporation, is now a man living out of suitcases, dodging jurisdictions, and avoiding home soil. His absence is conspicuous. Former associates have grown tight-lipped. And within the industry he once controlled, a quiet reckoning is taking place.
There is, in Kyari’s journey, a powerful lesson, one that transcends politics or oil. It is the ancient admonition that power is never permanent, and every action taken under its influence will one day be weighed. The same office that lifts a man can also leave him naked when the tide turns. The same allies who toast your triumph can vanish at the rumour of a scandal. And the same corridors you strutted through with fanfare can echo your name long after you’re gone, but not always kindly.
Is Mele Kyari now a fugitive? Officially, no. But morally, symbolically, and perhaps soon legally, he may well be. He is not hiding in caves, nor fleeing through borders in disguise. But in the way he zigzags across foreign cities, avoids the press, and seeks patronage instead of accountability, he has begun to live the life of a man on the run.
