By BONIFACE AKARAH

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned the latest increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), demanding a forensic audit of more than $2 billion reportedly spent on the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s public refineries.

HURIWA, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, on Wednesday, described the latest petrol price increase as insensitive to the economic hardship confronting millions of Nigerians.

The organisation was reacting to the reported increase by Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which raised its petrol gantry price from N1,185 to N1,200 per litre, effective Wednesday, August 26, 2026.

“The latest increase by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which raised its petrol gantry price from N1,185 to N1,200 per litre, effective today, August 26, 2026, is coming at a time when international crude oil prices have recorded significant declines,” HURIWA said.

The group said Nigerians continued to bear the consequences of repeated petrol price increases while the Federal Government had failed to make the country’s publicly owned refineries fully operational despite the huge resources reportedly committed to their rehabilitation.

“We condemn the Federal Government, through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), for what appears to be a prolonged failure to revive the nation's refineries.

“It is unacceptable that billions of dollars reportedly committed to turnaround maintenance of the refineries have not translated into functional facilities capable of producing petroleum products for Nigerians,” the statement said.

HURIWA consequently demanded a full, independent and transparent forensic audit of the funds reportedly spent on the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s public refineries.

“The Federal Government must tell Nigerians precisely how the reported expenditure of over $2 billion was utilised, who authorised the contracts, which companies received the funds, what work was actually carried out and why the refineries have remained largely non-functional,” HURIWA said.

The organisation also called for investigations into the management of the funds, saying anyone found to have engaged in fraud, corruption or diversion of public resources should face prosecution.

“Where investigations establish fraud, corruption or diversion of public funds, those responsible must be arrested, prosecuted and compelled to return every recoverable amount to the public treasury,” it said.

HURIWA further rejected any proposal for another cycle of massive public spending on the same refineries without first accounting for previous expenditures and recovering funds found to have been misappropriated.

The group said the continued failure of the public refineries had created an unhealthy dependence on private refining capacity and raised legitimate concerns about competition and pricing within the downstream petroleum sector.

While acknowledging the importance of private investment in the petroleum industry, HURIWA said Nigerians should not be placed at the mercy of any dominant player because government-owned refineries had been allowed to collapse after years of questionable expenditure.

“The Federal Government and relevant regulatory authorities must therefore ensure that petrol pricing is transparent, competitive and subject to effective regulatory oversight,” the organisation said.

HURIWA said recurring increases in petrol prices were having a devastating effect on Nigerians, as every increase immediately affected transportation costs, food prices, production expenses and the general cost of living.

“At a time when millions of Nigerians are struggling with multidimensional poverty, government policies must prioritise economic relief, transparency and social protection rather than allowing policies that further erode household purchasing power,” it said.

The organisation demanded an immediate explanation for the latest petrol price increase, alongside the publication of contracts, payments and project reports relating to the turnaround maintenance of the public refineries.

It also called for the investigation and prosecution of anyone found to have diverted or mismanaged public funds, the immediate recovery of stolen or misappropriated funds, an end to arbitrary or unjustified petrol price increases and stronger regulatory measures to guarantee competition in the downstream petroleum sector.

HURIWA warned against making Nigerians bear the consequences of what it described as institutional failures and alleged financial mismanagement.

“The Federal Government must understand that Nigerians cannot continue to pay the price for institutional failures, alleged financial mismanagement and the inability to deliver functional public refineries after billions of dollars in reported expenditure,” HURIWA said.

The organisation gave the Federal Government until 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26, to respond to its demands and provide Nigerians with clear answers on the latest petrol price increase and expenditure on the nation’s public refineries.

“Nigeria's petroleum resources belong to the Nigerian people. The management of the sector must therefore be governed by transparency, accountability and the public interest,” HURIWA said.