No fewer than 500 lawyers, professionals, and civil rights activists on Wednesday, September 17, marched to the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja, demanding the prosecution of former Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) boss, Mele Kyari, over an alleged $4 billion refinery scandal. “This is not merely a financial crime; it is an assault on human dignity and a subversion of national development,” said Barrister Theophilus Ojonugwa, spokesperson of the group. He linked the missing billions to “unbuilt schools, unequipped hospitals and lost jobs,” warning that Kyari’s alleged actions had worsened fuel scarcity and prolonged Nigeria’s reliance on costly petroleum imports. ADVERTISEMENTThe group also raised concerns about MSM Oil & Gas Nigeria Limited, a company allegedly owned by Kyari’s in-law, which they claimed was used to launder proceeds from the scandal. ADVERTISEMENTThey also urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order an independent forensic audit, describing the case as a potential “watershed moment” in Nigeria’s anti-corruption fight.