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By Tracy Moses
Tempers flared and chants filled the air in Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday, as over 1,000 impassioned young Nigerian professionals laid siege at the Saudi Arabian Embassy, demanding the immediate denial of entry, and possible deportation, of former Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) chief, Mallam Mele Kyari.
The demonstrators, under the banner of the Young Professionals Forum of Nigeria, came armed not with violence, but with damning allegations and a thunderous appeal for justice. From lawyers to medical doctors, engineers to artisans, the crowd painted a striking picture of Nigeria’s frustrated youth, angry, determined, and unwilling to let the powerful slip through the cracks of accountability.
Led by the Convener, Barr. Sambari Benjamin, and Organizing Secretary, Comrade John Ndubuokwu, the protest quickly drew attention from embassy officials and passersby. Placards bearing inscriptions such as “Corruption Has No Sanctuary!”, “Saudi Arabia, Don’t Be Complicit!”, and “Kyari Must Face Justice!” flapped defiantly in the wind.
In their formal petition, handed to officials of the Saudi mission, the group made a blistering appeal: that the Kingdom deny entry, visa, or asylum to Mele Kyari, who they allege is attempting to evade a swelling wave of anti-corruption investigations at home.
“Reports reaching us indicate that Mallam Kyari may have already slipped into Saudi Arabia or is making frantic efforts to gain entry,” Sambari declared, voice raised over the roar of the crowd. “This is not a pilgrimage, it is a getaway, disguised under the veil of religion and diplomacy.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), they claimed, have launched preliminary probes into Kyari’s time at the helm of the nation’s oil behemoth, where he allegedly presided over shady deals and unaccounted billions.
But the protesters weren’t just pleading, they were warning.
“Saudi Arabia must choose,” Comrade Ndubuokwu thundered, “between standing with the Nigerian people or offering refuge to the architects of our national rot. If you grant him safe passage, you soil your own hands.”
To underscore the gravity of their appeal, the group drew on powerful religious rhetoric, quoting Quranic injunctions that denounce corruption and protect the sanctity of justice. They urged the Saudi leadership, as stewards of the Islamic world’s holiest sites, not to tarnish their global reputation by harboring a man under moral and legal fire.
“This is not just a legal issue, it is a moral one,” Sambari said. “A man accused of bleeding his nation dry must not find peace in sacred lands. Justice must echo beyond borders.”
Their petition ended with a passionate plea for Riyadh to stand shoulder to shoulder with Nigeria’s anti-graft agencies, sending a strong message that the age of impunity is over, and no fortress, spiritual or otherwise can shield the corrupt.