Mr Mele Kyari, ex-NNPCL GMD
By Abdul Fagge
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has began a probe and arrest of the recently sacked top officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The arrested sacked officials include the immediate past managing directors of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries.
It was gathered that the EFCC discovered a staggering 80 billion naira in the account of one of them.
They are being investigated over the alleged mismanagement of a whooping sum of 2.9 billion dollars that was earmarked for the rehabilitation of the refineries.
Details of the investigation indicate that the EFCC is probing the sum of 1.5 billion dollars released to the Port Harcourt Refinery for repairs; 740 million dollars for the Kaduna Refinery; and 656 million dollars for the Warri Refinery.
The arrested officials are Mr Ibrahim Onoja, the sacked Managing Director of Port Harcourt Refining Company Ltd; Mr Efifia Chu, the sacked Managing Director of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Ltd.
Also arrested is Mr Mustafa Sugungun, the sacked Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Ltd.
An EFCC source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the lack of authorisation to speak on the matter, confirmed the probe and the arrests.
He disclosed that the arrest of the three ex-MDs and top officials were part of an ongoing investigation into the billions of dollars released for the quick-fix maintenance of the three state-owned refineries.
“We are investigating the money that was released for the rehabilitation of all three refineries—money disbursed in recent times.
“All the principal officers within that time frame are being invited.
“Some have been arrested already, and we are still on the lookout for others. Nigerians are interested in seeing our refineries work.
“We are asking: where is the money, and what has happened to the refineries?” He queried.
The EFCC document indicates that the probe also includes Mr Mele Kyari, the immediate past NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer and 13 of its other former senior executives.
