The President/Chief Executive Officer of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, said the former Group CEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari, revealed to him that the Port Harcourt Refinery had witnessed more than 100 sabotages during its rehabilitation.
Dangote also alleged that the pipeline infrastructure and depots across the country had been deliberately sabotaged by these unpatriotic individuals and groups.
This was made known by Dangote during a media briefing on Sunday, December 14, 2025, at the Refinery in Lagos, where he narrated the challenges currently threatening the downstream sector of the oil industry.
Africa’s richest man stated that some of these depots and pipeline infrastructure were deliberately sabotaged and not damaged by natural causes.
What Dangote is saying
Dangote lamented that even his refinery is witnessing sabotage as well, noting that the drug mafia is smaller than the mafia in the oil and gas sector.
He said, “You are talking about sabotage, and I’m happy that you are also here in Nigeria. I don’t know if Mele Kyari [former NNPCL GCEO] is still in town, but I think you should go to his house in Maitama and ask him how many sabotages the Port Harcourt refinery repairs went through.
“He told me many times that they have had more than 100 sabotages at the refinery. You can ask him, and he will tell you.
‘’You know we have a boiler, 400 tonnes is the largest boiler ever built it the world, it was under operations and somebody went and removed the spare parts out of it
“If I tell you the sabotages that we went through, including some of the machine manufacturers that were on the verge of going to court, you will know what I’m saying.
“And that’s why I told you that drug mafias are actually smaller than the people who are in oil and gas, because most of the people in drugs you know yourselves but in the oil sector, they have roped so many people in.
How come now, for example, all the pipelines that were built, right from the military days to date, none of them are functioning?
“The one that we have, which is from where I am from, Kano, that depot, we were not using trucks. The depots were only going to the trucks to load. Everything was piped up to that. 22 depots were built. They are all piped, all 22 depots.
“Actually, even the sediments don’t have it anymore. They have destroyed the pipes, all of them. So, if it is not sabotage, is that an earthquake? It’s not an earthquake now, because it’s sabotage. Sabotage is sabotage. So, that is what it is.’’
Refinery lost $82 million to theft
Dangote said the refinery had lost about $82 million to theft and sabotage, with the oil and gas firm employing extreme security measures.
He explained that over 2,000 security personnel were employed, which is more than the number of operational workers.
He said, “In this refinery, we have lost maybe $82 million of stolen items. They were actually trying to make us put massive claims on insurance. Continuously, our insurance premiums will just keep going up. Yes, there is sabotage.’’
“People will come here with long pieces of cord cables and put [them] on their bodies to try and see how they can take it out. And we answer, ‘Okay, fine, what are you doing with it?’ It’s just sabotage.’’
What you should know
NNPC had on April 6, 2021, signed an Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) contract with Tecnimont SpA, a subsidiary of Maire Tecnimont for the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt Refining Company.
The Port Harcourt Refinery, Nigeria’s largest, shut down again in May 2025 for planned maintenance and sustainability assessment, just months after resuming operations following a massive $1.5 billion rehabilitation and its December 2024 restart.
The shutdown, extending beyond its initial expected duration, highlights ongoing issues with consistency and questions surrounding the refinery’s performance and the effectiveness of rehabilitation efforts, with new NNPC management evaluating long-term viability amidst significant financial losses from prolonged inactivity.
