Hundreds of protesters, led by the Concerned Lawyers and Citizens Network (CLCN), stormed the headquarters of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in Abuja on Thursday demanding an immediate investigation into what they described as a massive $4 billion fraud involving the MSM Group and missing funds meant for Nigeria’s refinery rehabilitation.
In a speech delivered by Sambari G. Benjamin, Esq., the CLCN accused the MSM Group, a conglomerate with ties to Engineer Mele Kolo Kyari, former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), of being a front for laundering stolen public funds.
The group pointed to the mysterious disappearance of $2.896 billion allocated for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries, which remain non-functional despite the massive investment.
“We are here because something is deeply wrong,” Benjamin declared to a crowd of supporters and journalists.
“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.”
The CLCN highlighted MSM Group’s recent $2.4 billion deal with the Kebbi State Government to build a cement plant, questioning the source of the funds and the company’s sudden emergence in industries ranging from oil and gas to cement and agriculture.
The protesters raised concerns about a conflict of interest, noting that a former bank account officer of Kyari is now a director at MSM Group, and the conglomerate has refused to disclose its investors or funding sources.
“How did MSM Group secure $2.4 billion with no prior footprint in cement?” Benjamin asked.
“Why do these funds correspond with the missing money meant for our refineries? This is not coincidence. This is corruption with a family name.”
The protesters demanded that the ICPC launch a full-scale investigation into MSM Group’s financial operations, uncover its links to Kyari’s tenure at NNPCL, expose its investors and directors, and recover every kobo diverted from the refinery funds.
They also called for accountability for all individuals involved, regardless of their 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.
“This is about justice and restoring faith in our institutions.”
The CLCN vowed to continue their agitation until the truth is revealed and justice is served, warning that Nigerians will not be silenced or intimidated.
“Let this day be remembered as the moment Nigerians stood up and said: Enough is enough with the theft of our commonwealth,” Benjamin concluded.