Hundreds of protesters, led by the Concerned Lawyers and Citizens Network (CLCN), stormed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, calling for an urgent investigation into a $4 billion fraud involving the MSM Group and missing funds intended for Nigeria’s refinery rehabilitation.
In a statement delivered by Sambari G. Benjamin, Esq., the group alleged that MSM Group, linked to former NNPCL Group Managing Director Engineer Mele Kolo Kyari, may have acted as a front for laundering public funds. The protesters highlighted that $2.896 billion allocated for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries remains unaccounted for, leaving the facilities non-functional despite the substantial investment.
Benjamin questioned MSM Group’s $2.4 billion cement plant deal with Kebbi State, suggesting it coincided suspiciously with the missing refinery funds. He also raised concerns over potential conflicts of interest, noting that a former bank account officer of Kyari now serves as a director at MSM Group.
“MSM Group is not just a business; it is a vessel of money laundering, a shell of secrecy, and a front for repurposing stolen public funds,” Benjamin declared.
The protesters urged the ICPC to conduct a full-scale investigation into MSM Group’s financial operations, expose its investors and directors, and ensure accountability for all involved, regardless of influence.
“We speak for the mechanic in Kaduna, the mother in Warri, and the youth in Port Harcourt who have been robbed of opportunity, dignity, and truth,” Benjamin said.
The CLCN warned that their agitation will continue until justice is served and Nigerians’ stolen funds are recovered.
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