The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has begun an investigation into alleged abuse of office and misappropriation of funds by the immediate past Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, and other top officials.
Also being investigated are 13 other former senior executives of the national oil firm, EFCC said in a letter addressed to the current NNPC Managing Director.
The letter, with reference number CR:3000/EFCC/ABJ/HQ/SDC.2/NNPC/VOL.1/698, dated 28 April, outlined the officials to include Abubakar Yar’Adua, Mele Kyari, Isiaka Abdulrazak, Umar Ajiya, Dikko Ahmed, Ibrahim Onoja, Ademoye Jelili, and Mustapha Sugungun.
Others are; Kayode Adetokunbo, Efiok Akpan, Babatunde Bakare, Jimoh Olasunkanmi, Bello Kankaya and Desmond Inyama.
In its request, the anti-graft agency asked the NNPCL to provide certified true copies of the emoluments and allowances of the listed officials, including those who have retired.
It read, “The commission is investigating a case of abuse of office and misappropriation of funds in which the underlisted officials of your organisation featured.”
The investigation, SaharaReporters learnt, is linked to the controversial $2.896 billion spent on refinery rehabilitation projects under their watch.
It had been earlier reported that the commission recently arrested former Managing Directors and senior officials of Nigeria’s three major state-owned refineries — Port Harcourt Refining Company, Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company.Travel guides
The officials were apprehended over the alleged mismanagement of $2.96 billion earmarked for refinery rehabilitation projects.
Sources within the EFCC revealed that the arrested officials, including former Port Harcourt Refining Company MD Ibrahim Onoja and Warri Refinery’s Efifia Chu, are being investigated for their roles in the alleged diversion and misappropriation of funds allocated for the turnaround maintenance of the refineries.
SaharaReporters reported in December 2024 that the Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company (WRPC), with a capacity of 125,000 barrels per day, which was announced to have resumed production in Warri, Delta State, was producing only Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) otherwise known as diesel and Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK).
The Warri Refinery is far from turning out Premium Motor Spirit (otherwise known as petrol) which is believed to be the mostly demanded commodity as only one of the three plants in the facility is working,” the staff had revealed.
It was earlier reported that the Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company (WRPC) was said to have resumed production in Delta State.
This had been made known by the then Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, during a tour of the facility.
On December 7, SaharaReporters also reported that the Conversion Units of the Port-Harcourt Refinery of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) which are responsible for high-value products such as jet fuel and gasoline are not functional, despite claims by the then NNPCL Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari that the facility was back and running.
