A diaspora-led civil society coalition, Rescue Nigeria Now (RNN), has announced plans to stage protests in the United States and United Arab Emirates (UAE) to demand a comprehensive investigation into alleged corruption under former Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari.

The protests, scheduled for May, aim to pressure the Nigerian government to establish a judicial commission of inquiry into alleged financial misconduct in Nigeria's oil and gas sector during Kyari's tenure from 2019 to 2025.

According to a statement released on Friday by Prince Damilola Adeyeye, RNN's Global Mobilisation Lead, the group's branches in Washington D.C. and Dubai will coordinate demonstrations targeting Nigerian embassies and international institutions involved in anti-money laundering and financial accountability.

"Kyari must not be allowed to disappear into luxury exile. We are going to the streets again in the US and UAE, just as we did in London, to demand a judicial commission of inquiry into every kobo spent, signed, or sanctioned under Kyari's leadership," Adeyeye stated.

The allegations against the former NNPCL boss include the disappearance of billions reportedly allocated for refinery repairs, untraceable subsidy payments, and alleged clandestine foreign transfers.

This planned action follows a similar protest recently held in London, where Nigerians gathered at the Nigerian High Commission and the UK Home Office. During that demonstration, protesters submitted formal petitions demanding Kyari's deportation and an investigation into his tenure, accusing him of fleeing Nigeria to evade investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Fatima Sadiq, RNN's Middle East Coordinator, explained that Dubai was chosen as a protest location due to speculation that illicit funds may have been channeled through financial institutions in the region.

"Dubai has long been a destination for Nigeria's stolen wealth. We are working with other transparency-focused groups to pressure authorities to open financial records and cooperate with Nigerian investigators," she said.

In the United States, the group plans to engage American legislators and international anti-corruption organizations to increase pressure on the Nigerian government.

The coalition is calling on President Bola Tinubu to take decisive action, insisting that only an independent judicial panel with full disclosure of all contracts, payments, and foreign transfers made under Kyari's leadership can restore public trust in Nigeria's petroleum sector.