CSOs Address Alleged Russian Crude Importation in Response to US Govt Petition

The Coalition of Civil Society Groups in Nigeria has addressed a major controversy involving allegations against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its CEO, Mele Kyari.

The issue arose from a petition submitted to the United States Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) by a group of concerned Nigerian citizens.

This petition accused NNPCL of importing Russian crude oil above the price cap set by the Price Cap Coalition, which includes the US, G7, EU, and Australia. The alleged violations amounted to over $2.08 billion, with claims that these transactions enabled Russia to fund its war efforts.

The Coalition of Civil Society Groups, represented by Dominic Ogakwu, Convener of Civil Society Group for Good Governance, and Comrade Victor Itsede, Convener of Restore Nigeria Initiative, vehemently denied any involvement in the petition.

They clarified that the petition was not authored by them but by an entity impersonating their organization. Ogakwu and Itsede stated, "We denounce the letter written to the US government and to state categorically clear that we were impersonated by those who wrote it."

The petition, titled "Persons of interest in the violation of the coalition-agreed price cap on Russian crude," targeted both Mele Kyari and Abdulkabir Adisa Aliu, CEO of Matrix Energy Group.

The Coalition pointed out several discrepancies in the petition, including the use of a non-existent address and unregistered NGO. They explained, "The office address listed on the letterhead belongs to the Concerned Citizens on Economic Reform Nigeria and the name used by the writers was also allegedly twisted to look like one of its own."

Further emphasizing the fraudulent nature of the petition, the Coalition noted, "The two phone numbers used in their letterhead do not exist anywhere but created out of their memories." They also highlighted that the address listed, Suite B5, 3rd Floor, Danville Plaza, No 5, David Ejoor Crescent, Abuja, is currently unoccupied and was never numbered as such even when they occupied the plaza.

In response to the situation, the Coalition announced their intention to submit a letter of withdrawal to OFAC through the United States Embassy in Abuja.

They urged OFAC to disregard the petition, stating, "The United States Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) should disregard the petition submitted by the impersonators as it's not authored by any of us who are former occupants of the address in the non-existing NGO."