EFCC Recovers millions of Dollars from NNPCL Staff, Contractors

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has pulled back over N5 billion and $10 million from the deep pockets of contractors and officials who allegedly turned Nigeria’s refineries into bottomless pits of corruption.

But wait—there’s more. The anti-graft agency says another N10 billion and $13 million are still out there floating around like lost luggage at an airport carousel, courtesy of “contract inflation” and other corrupt practices.

EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, has decided this is not a “delegate-and-watch” kind of case—he’s personally leading the charge. Word is, he’s tired of billions being spent while the refineries in Warri, Kaduna, and Port Harcourt remain unproductive.

For decades, Nigeria’s refineries have been more of tourist sites than functional plants. Billions have been budgeted, billions released, yet they perform worse than a broken generator in rainy season.

The Big Spending History Lesson

$1.55 billion for Port Harcourt refinery

$740 million for Kaduna refinery

$656 million for Warri refinery

And yet, not one of them can boast of reliably producing fuel. According to EFCC sleuths, the issue wasn’t “complex engineering” but old classics—over-invoicing, padded contracts, and “ghost” payments.

Suspects Under the Grill

Current and former NNPCL managers have been doing “rounds” at the EFCC office. One investigator quipped that the fraud uncovered could “refuel an entire country”—if only it had been spent right.

So far, $10m and N5bn have been clawed back, but more heads may soon roll as the commission prepares to file charges. Both yesterday’s and today’s NNPCL managers could be in the dock.

More Money in the Shadows

Another senior official confirmed there’s still $13m and N10bn to be recovered—and fresh allegations of $40m in contract inflation. In other words, the money trail is starting to look like a never-ending Nollywood series.

EFCC Spokesperson on Silent Mode

Calls to EFCC’s media chief, Dele Oyewale, rang out like unanswered customer care lines. Still, insiders confirmed the recoveries and ongoing investigations.

The Bigger Picture

Nigeria’s state-owned refineries have been the country’s most expensive white elephants. Despite 40+ years of promises and billions spent, they remain stubbornly idle. Nigerians, meanwhile, continue to rely on imported fuel, rising pump prices, and the hope that maybe, just maybe, one day a refinery will actually refine.

This latest EFCC probe might just be the plot twist Nigerians have been waiting for—or another episode in the long-running soap opera titled “Billions Gone, Refineries Still Sleeping.”

NNPC:Tinubu’s Security Aides Implicated in Alleged $1.5m Bribery Scandal

 Two senior security aides to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have been linked to a $1.5 million bribery scandal allegedly involving the embattled Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, according to Sahara Reporters.

According to multiple sources, the President’s Chief Security Officer (CSO), Adegboyega Fasasi, and Chief Personal Security Officer, Usman Shugaba, allegedly facilitated Ojulari’s access to the President at the Aso Rock Villa after receiving the payment. Tinubu reportedly met with the NNPC boss at 11 a.m. on June 10.

Ojulari is currently under investigation for alleged money laundering linked to the transfer of millions of dollars to AA&R Investment Group, a company owned by Abdullahi Bashir-Haske, son-in-law of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar—Tinubu’s main rival in the 2023 elections.

Sources said the President grew visibly angry after intelligence reports tied Ojulari to suspicious financial dealings with Haske, who also allegedly coordinated a controversial luxury retreat for NNPC executives in Kigali, Rwanda. “The President accused Ojulari of using NNPC funds to indirectly support opposition figures,” one source revealed.

In July, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested Haske for alleged money laundering. During interrogation, Haske reportedly admitted that Ojulari had secured access to Tinubu through the President’s security aides after a $1.5 million payoff.

“The pair collected $1.5 million from Ojulari’s associate, Bashir-Haske, to arrange the meeting with Mr President,” a source familiar with the EFCC probe said. He further alleged that Fasasi issued Haske a Villa access tag, granting him unrestricted entry to the seat of power, and even promised to lobby the EFCC chairman on his behalf—though the attempt reportedly failed.

Investigators also uncovered a similar incident in December 2024, when Fasasi and other Villa officials allegedly received $500,000 from a Niger Delta militant to facilitate a contract. “Fasasi has abused his office several times, collecting bribes to grant access, defrauding and tarnishing the President’s image,” one source alleged.

Fasasi’s Checkered History

This is not the first time Fasasi has faced controversy. In October 2024, SaharaReporters revealed that the Director General of the State Security Service (SSS), Tosin Ajayi, had redeployed him from his role as Tinubu’s CSO, replacing him with Rasheed Atanda Lawal. However, Fasasi reportedly refused to vacate his post, allegedly relying on the backing of state governors and other influential figures to remain in the Villa.

Villa insiders have repeatedly accused Fasasi of running a gatekeeping system in which access to the President was allegedly determined by bribes. “The logic of those supporting his stay is strange,” one insider said at the time. “They claim that if he leaves, they will have to bribe the new person afresh.”

Despite mounting allegations of misconduct, Fasasi and Shugaba have so far remained in their posts.