By Muhammad Mamman
Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency has struck a major blow against fraud, recovering over ₦5 billion ($3 million) and $10 million tied to a sprawling scam in the maintenance of the country’s refineries, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced Sunday. The probe now sets its sights on former and current executives of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), with criminal charges looming.
The EFCC’s investigation exposed a web of corruption involving inflated contracts, over-invoicing, and dubious payments linked to the turnaround maintenance of Nigeria’s Port Harcourt, Kaduna, and Warri refineries. Sources within the agency revealed that contractors and senior NNPCL officials siphoned off billions, leaving the nation’s refineries in disrepair despite massive public investments.
EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, who is personally overseeing the investigation, expressed dismay at the state of Nigeria’s refineries, which remain largely nonfunctional despite billions allocated for their revival. Documents obtained by investigators show $1.5 billion was funneled into the Port Harcourt refinery, $740 million to Kaduna, and $656 million to Warri—yet the facilities have failed to produce at capacity for decades, forcing Nigeria to rely heavily on imported fuel.
A senior EFCC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that $10 million and ₦5 billion have already been recovered from implicated contractors and officials. The agency is also chasing an additional ₦10 billion and $13 million traced to fraudulent contractors involved in the refinery projects.
New allegations of $40 million in contract inflation have surfaced, with NNPCL officials and equipment suppliers under scrutiny. The EFCC has interrogated former refinery management teams and is preparing to file charges against several high-ranking NNPCL executives and refinery managers implicated in the multi-billion-naira fraud.
As the investigation deepens, the EFCC vows to hold accountable those responsible for undermining Nigeria’s energy security. With the nation grappling with fuel scarcity and rising costs, the probe could mark a turning point in the fight against corruption in Africa’s largest oil producer.
