The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has rejected allegations of importing adulterated premium motor spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol. Olufemi Soneye, NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, addressed the claims on Tuesday following protests calling for the removal of the company’s Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Mele Kyari.

The protests, organized by civil society groups, were held at NNPC’s headquarters in Abuja in response to recent hikes in petrol prices. Soneye challenged the accusers to provide concrete evidence of adulterated fuel, stating, “The NNPC Ltd. does not import adulterated fuel. If anyone has evidence to the contrary, they should bring forward samples of any such fuel imported by NNPC Ltd.” He reaffirmed the company’s commitment to its critical projects aimed at securing Nigeria’s energy future.

The controversy deepened after remarks from Dangote Petroleum Refinery on November 3, which claimed that oil marketers selling petrol at prices lower than its products were importing substandard fuel. This statement followed complaints from marketers about the refinery’s higher product prices compared to imported petrol.

In response to the protesters’ demands, Soneye clarified that Kyari was not to blame for the recent price hikes, attributing the adjustments to external market forces. NNPC had raised petrol prices from N855 per litre in September to N998 per litre in October, and later to N1,025 in Lagos and N1,050 in Abuja by the end of the month.

Soneye defended Kyari’s tenure, pointing out that the GCEO had maintained petrol prices at N620 per litre for over a year, even when the landing cost exceeded N1,100 per litre. “Only those who lack understanding would blame the GCEO for the fuel price hike,” he remarked. Despite the protests, NNPC reiterated its commitment to President Bola Tinubu’s energy security roadmap and emphasized that the company would not be distracted from its strategic goals.