The immediate past Group Managing Director (GMD) of
the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, has
honored an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
as part of its ongoing probe into alleged multibillion-dollar fraud at the
state oil company.
A source within the EFCC, who requested anonymity as
they were not authorized to speak publicly, on
Wednesday that Kyari was at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja for
questioning.
EFCC Probe and Court Order
The development comes days after the Federal High
Court in Abuja ordered the temporary freezing of four Jaiz Bank accounts
linked to Kyari over allegations of fraud.
Justice Emeka Nwite granted the order following an ex-parte
motion filed by EFCC counsel Ogechi Ujam, who told the court that
investigations were still ongoing and required additional time.
The case forms part of a wider EFCC investigation into
alleged corruption at NNPCL, including an estimated $7.2 billion fraud
tied to the rehabilitation of the Kaduna, Warri, and Port Harcourt
refineries.
Among those reportedly questioned are Umar Isa,
the former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of NNPCL, and Jimoh Olasunkanmi,
a former Managing Director of Warri Refinery.
Senate Raises Alarm
The probe also follows concerns raised by the Senate
Committee on Public Accounts, chaired by Senator Aliyu Wadada, over “mind-boggling
discrepancies” in NNPCL’s audited financial statements from 2017 to 2023.
The committee said its review revealed alleged
mismanagement involving trillions of naira. Eleven queries were immediately
handed to the NNPCL finance team, with a one-week deadline for response.
Ongoing Investigations
Sources confirmed that EFCC investigators are probing
allegations of:
“The arrest of some ex-NNPCL officials is true. We are
still investigating, and there is no point preempting what the EFCC will do
after the investigation,” one EFCC insider said.
The Commission, however, clarified that the probe
remains at the investigation stage, and not all officials may face
prosecution depending on the findings.
Backstory: Tinubu’s Shake-up
The investigation comes months after President Bola
Tinubu dissolved the NNPCL board, removing Kyari and chairman Pius
Akinyelure in a sweeping restructuring move.
Citing powers under the Petroleum Industry Act
(PIA) 2021, Tinubu said the shake-up was aimed at:
The president also directed the new board to conduct a
strategic portfolio review of NNPCL-operated and joint venture assets to
ensure maximum value for the state oil company.
Comments:
Leave a Reply