The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released Mele Kyari, a former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) from its custody.
Recall that the commission, on Wednesday, grilled Kyari over alleged financial misconduct during his tenure.
It was learnt that Kyari was invited by the commission to answer questions on suspicious financial transactions linked to his leadership of the state-owned oil giant.
Sources within the anti-graft agency confirmed to Daily Trust that Kyari was at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja undergoing interrogation.
“He is here with our investigators at the moment. This is all I can confirm for now,” the sources said.
The investigation is said to be connected to alleged irregularities in the management of billions of dollars meant for reviving Nigeria’s comatose refineries.
Kyari had previously been placed on the commission’s watch list in relation to a controversial $7.2 billion refinery turnaround maintenance project that failed to yield results despite massive funding.
The probe intensified last week after the Federal High Court in Abuja granted an interim order freezing four bank accounts allegedly linked to Kyari.
However, a source close to the investigation told SaharaReporters on Thursday that the former NNPCL chief was allowed to return home on Wednesday night.
“He has been released,” the source replied to the text message of SaharaReporters.
Efforts to reach the former NNPCL have proved abortive.
