The Movement for Sustainable Development of the Niger Delta (MSDND) has accused Mele Kyari, Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), of making false claims about oil activities in the Niger Delta. In a formal complaint addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, MSDND disputed Kyari’s reports of illegal refineries, oil theft, and illegal pipelines in the region.
Kyari had announced the discovery of 38 illegal pipeline connections and 108 illegal refineries in the Niger Delta over six days. However, the MSDND, through its Publicity Secretary Kelvin Orughoe, refuted these claims, alleging that Kyari’s statements are misleading and intended to divert attention from the real issues in the region.
The complaint emphasized that the alleged sites of illegal activities reported by the NNPCL do not exist. “These NNPCL acclaimed sites of 38 illegal pipeline connections and 108 illegal refineries do not exist in the creeks of the Niger Delta region,” stated Orughoe. He further urged President Tinubu to scrutinize the figures presented by the NNPCL and Kyari, claiming they are falsified and do not reflect the actual situation on the ground.
Orughoe accused Kyari and the NNPCL of using deceitful tactics similar to those used to mislead former President Muhammadu Buhari, which led to withholding billions of dollars from crude oil sales to the Federal Government. The MSDND called on President Tinubu not to be deceived by the “false battle cry” of the NNPCL regarding non-existent illegal refineries and oil theft activities. Instead, they demanded transparency about the real sources of crude oil leakages in Nigeria.