EFCC probes two former NNPC chief executives, other top officials

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has initiated an investigation into alleged abuse of office and misappropriation of funds by former top officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), including two former chief executives, Mele Kyari and Abubakar Yar’Adua

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A letter, with reference number CR:3000/EFCC/ABJ/HQ/SDC.2/NNPC/VOL.1/698, dated 28 April, addressed to the NNPC Managing Director, shows the EFCC is seeking certified records of salaries and allowances paid to 14 officials, including those who have retired.

In the letter, titled ‘Investigation activities request for Information’, the EFCC said it is investigating a case of abuse of office and misappropriation of funds and asked the company to provide certified true documentation covering both current and former staff.

Among the names listed are the former Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Mele Kyari; the former Managing Director of the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited (PHRC), Ibrahim Onoja; and the former Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC), Mustafa Sugungun.

All three were removed in the recent shake-up at the state oil company.

Others on the list include: a former Group Managing Director of NNPC, Abubakar Yar’Adua; a former NNPC group executive director, finance & services; Isiaka Abdulrazak; a former Chief Financial Officer NNPC Limited, Umar Ajiya; the former Managing Director of the PHRC, Dikko Ahmed; a power plant engineer at PHRC, Ademoye Jelili; Manager Production at NNPC/KRPC, Efiok Akpan; Kayode Adetokunbo, Babatunde Bakare, Jimoh Olasunkanmi, Bello Kankaya and Desmond Inyama.

“In view of the above, you are kindly requested to furnish certified true copies of their emoluments and allowances, including that of those who have retired and no longer work with your organisation,” the letter read.

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The investigation is linked to the controversial $2.896 billion spent on refinery rehabilitation projects under their watch.

Of this amount, $1.56 billion was allocated to the Port Harcourt refinery, $740.6 million to the Kaduna refinery, and $656.9 million to the Warri refinery.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, he confirmed that the investigation is ongoing but said he does not have the details.

On Wednesday, PREMIUM TIMES reported the sack of the managing directors of the three state-owned refineries.

A source familiar with the matter told PREMIUM TIMES that the Managing Director of the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited (PHRC), Ibrahim Onoja; the Managing Director of Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited (WRPC), Efifia Chu, and the Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC), Mustafa Sugungun, were removed.

He said the removal was part of a broader organisational shake-up, not a targeted effort to oust supporters of the previous Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the company.

Last month, President Bola Tinubu sacked the board of the NNPC Ltd, including its GCEO, Mr Kyari, and board chairperson Pius Akinyelure.

The president also approved Bayo Ojulari as the new GCEO of the NNPC and Ahmadu Kida as non-executive chairman.

NNPC also announced the appointment of a new 8-member senior management team.

Last week, Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, announced that a forensic audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) is underway. Mr Edun made the disclosure at an Investors’ Forum held on the sidelines of the World Bank/IMF meetings held in Washington, D.C.

“The NNPC needs to come to the table with more dollar revenue,” the minister said in response to a question on the government’s efforts to revamp oil production in the face of the global uncertainty heightened by the tariff war between the United States and other economies of the world, most notably China.