A legal advocacy group, Lawyers in Defence of Democracy, has described the record of former Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, as “one of the most transparent” in the company’s history, dismissing the ongoing probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as an attempt to tarnish his legacy.

The group made this known in a statement released on Monday in response to reports that the EFCC was investigating alleged abuse of office and misappropriation of funds involving Kyari and other former senior officials of NNPCL.

Speaking through its Deputy National Coordinator, Barrister Ndu Edede, the group stated that Kyari, who led the transformation of NNPC into a limited liability company and oversaw sweeping reforms through the Petroleum Industry Act, deserved commendation rather than what it called a “witch-hunt.”

“For someone who served the country diligently from 2019 to 2025 as GMD and later as GCEO of NNPCL, Kyari deserves appreciation, not persecution,” the statement read.

They credited Kyari with spearheading reforms that revitalised Nigeria’s petroleum sector, including the removal of fuel subsidy, an action they said freed up funds for government use and an increase in daily oil production to nearly 2 million barrels.

According to the group, “Moribund refineries were being resuscitated while the Dangote Refinery came on board, changing Nigeria’s petroleum sector’s narrative. These feats have never been achieved before.”

The EFCC’s probe was revealed in a letter dated April 28, 2025, addressed to the current GMD of NNPCL. The letter, which has since surfaced online, listed 14 former officials, including Kyari and Abubakar Lawal Yar’Adua, as subjects of an investigation into alleged abuse of office and financial misappropriation.

While acknowledging the EFCC’s right to conduct investigations, the lawyers urged the commission to proceed with caution.

“As Kyari himself said, ‘he served Nigeria with the fear of God and is willing to account for his stewardship.’ While we stand with the former GMD/GCEO, we implore EFCC to be circumspect about its planned probe in order not to appear as conducting a witch-hunt against someone who sacrificed his lifetime, energy, and comfort in service to the country,” they stated.

The group also emphasised that any genuine and transparent probe would ultimately vindicate Kyari, whom they described as a transformational figure in the oil and gas industry.

The EFCC has not yet issued a formal public statement on the status or scope of the investigation.