*Over N20b recovered from corrupt Nigerians in 2024, says ICPC
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested a former Chief Financial Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Umar Isa, in connection with an alleged $7.2 billion fraud linked to the rehabilitation of the Kaduna, Warri, and Port Harcourt refineries.
Some officials of the NNPCL were being investigated for the alleged mismanagement of funds earmarked for the overhaul of these facilities. The total amount under investigation is $2,956,872,622.36.
Specifically, the EFCC is probing the disbursement of $1,559,239,084.36 allocated to the Port Harcourt refinery, $740,669,600 released for the Kaduna refinery, and $656,963,938 approved for the Warri refinery.
A top official in the agency, who requested anonymity due to a lack of authorisation to speak publicly, confirmed Isa’s arrest and said he was being investigated for alleged abuse of office, corruption, among other offences.
“As CFO, he oversaw the release of funds for the turnaround maintenance of the three refineries. All key officials involved in the maintenance and other major NNPCL projects are also under investigation for alleged abuse of office, corruption, diversion of public funds, and kickbacks from contractors.
“Other officials involved are Tunde Bakare, MD, Warri Refinery; Ahmed Adamu Dikko, former MD, Port Harcourt Refinery; and Ibrahim Monday Onoja, former MD, Port Harcourt Refinery,” the source stated.
This is as the chairman of the Independent and Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Musa Aliyu, has said the commission recovered more than N20 billion and other properties from corrupt individuals in 2024.
Aliyu said this on Monday in Ilorin during an interview on the sidelines of a conference of state attorneys general in the North-Central zone. The conference had as its theme “Strengthening Subnational Synergies for Corruption Prevention: Advancing the National Anti-Corruption Strategy in Nigeria’s North Central Region”.
Aliyu noted that corruption was prevalent at both federal and subnational levels and said that prevention was more strategic, less costly, and would help retain the country’s assets and resources.
“We all know that the judicial process in Nigeria is too slow because of many cases on the table, and that is why we should prevent corruption.
“But if it eventually happens, we will now go for enforcement, which is the investigation and probably prosecution,” he said.
The ICPC boss said the commission was ensuring that assets taken outside the shores of Africa and recovered were not looted again.
“One of the strategies identified as a necessary tool for success in our shared pursuit of justice is the continuity and reassessment of our efforts in the fight against corruption as criminal trends evolve and national events unfold,” he said.
Aliyu, however, said the commission would not relent in its fight against corruption.
The chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Abdullahi Bello, said corruption remains a major obstacle to Nigeria’s progress. Bello said effective anti-corruption measures at the state level were critical to achieving national progress.
The CCB chairman said the bureau had introduced initiatives to enhance transparency and accountability among public servants.He stated that the bureau was developing an online asset declaration system, which would provide a more efficient and modern platform for public officers to comply with the law.
The Kwara Attorney General, Senior Sulyman, called for more coordinated efforts at fighting corruption. In his goodwill message, the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption, Kayode Akiolu, stated that corruption was a national phenomenon that had prevented the country from fulfilling its national promises since independence.
Akiolu said the National Assembly was committed to winning the battle against corruption, adding that the 10th assembly had ensured the adequate funding of anti-corruption agencies.
In his remarks, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption, Emmanuel Udende, commended the ICPC for decentralising the fight against corruption while calling for unified action.
