The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC, Mele Kyari, has said that high placed Nigerians, including religious, community leaders and government officials, are fully involved in crude oil theft.

He also said the entire network of pipelines for petroleum products distribution in the country had been deliberately shut down as a result of the activities of vandals and also because the refineries were not operating as a business but incurring losses, adding that Nigeria would stop fuel importation in 2023.

Kyari said these when he featured at the Ministerial Briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the State House.

 He said the authorities of the NNPC borrowed $1billion from AFREXIM Bank to put in place the refineries, adding that the management of the company was confident that it was restoring the company for about 90 per cent efficiency.