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Refinery Repairs: EFCC Recovers ₦9.4 Billion, $21.2 Million, Traces Properties To Officials

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has recovered over ₦9.4 billion, $21.2 million and several landed properties in its ongoing investigation into alleged diversion of funds released for the rehabilitation and turnaround maintenance of Nigeria’s refineries.

Based on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s official exchange rate of ₦1,380 to a dollar posted on Friday, the $21.2m recovered amounts to about ₦29.26bn, bringing the total cash recovery so far to approximately ₦38.66bn.

The recoveries form part of a wide-ranging probe into the management of billions of dollars released for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries.

According to Premium Times, sources familiar with the investigation said the probe centres on allegations of criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, diversion of public funds, economic sabotage, abuse of office and money laundering.

Those under scrutiny include officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), its subsidiary, NNPC Engineering and Technical Company Limited, former and serving managing directors of the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries, as well as major contractors, including Daewoo Engineering Nigeria Limited and Tecnimont SPA.

Between 2021 and 2023, the Federal Government, through NNPCL, awarded refinery rehabilitation contracts worth about $2.79bn.

The contracts included about $740.7m for the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, $492.3m for the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company and $1.56bn for the Port Harcourt Refining Company.

Despite the huge financial commitment, investigators said they found no evidence of corresponding improvements in the operational status of the refineries.

According to EFCC sources, substantial portions of the funds were allegedly diverted, misappropriated or fraudulently disbursed by officials entrusted with executing the projects.

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Investigators reportedly reviewed procurement procedures, contract payments, project execution levels and alleged weaknesses in financial controls.

More than 30 top NNPCL officials and over 50 officials of contractors and subcontractors involved in the rehabilitation contracts have reportedly been questioned.

The commission also sought information from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and several commercial banks as part of the investigation.

One of the officials named in the probe, Ahmed Dikko, a former managing director of the Port Harcourt Refinery, was accused of abusing due process in the execution of the refinery rehabilitation contract.

Investigators alleged that Dikko approved direct payments to contractors from provisional sum funds, contrary to contractual provisions requiring such contractors to be engaged and paid by Tecnimont.

The EFCC said it traced ₦983.9m, $227,030 and three landed properties to him, which investigators said he could not satisfactorily explain.

An interim forfeiture order has reportedly been secured over the properties, while prosecutors are preparing charges.

Investigators also established what they described as a prima facie case against a senior Warri refinery official, Jimoh Yisawu.

Yisawu was accused of approving payments to unqualified third-party contractors, authorising inflated invoices and approving contractual mark-ups amounting to more than $10m and nearly ₦8bn.

He was also accused of approving payment vouchers without required cash-back arrangements, allegedly causing losses of about $7.47m and ₦1.89bn in tax revenue.

Investigators said more than ₦1.4bn and four landed properties were traced to him, with the properties placed under interim forfeiture pending prosecution.

EFCC sources said the recovered ₦9.4bn and $21.2m had been paid into the commission’s recovery accounts.

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An additional $2.32m was reportedly recovered through the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

Investigators also disclosed that a separate case involving alleged revenue fraud of $28.39m and ₦665m had been established against the management of the Port Harcourt Refining Company, with efforts underway to recover the funds.

The EFCC said the probe remained ongoing and that additional recoveries and prosecutions were expected as more evidence emerged.

Nigeria has four state-owned refineries, including two in Port Harcourt, with a combined installed capacity of 210,000 barrels per day.

The Kaduna refinery has an installed capacity of 110,000 barrels per day, while the Warri refinery has 125,000 barrels per day, bringing the combined national refining capacity to 445,000 barrels per day.

Despite repeated funding for repairs and rehabilitation over the years, the refineries have continued to suffer operational setbacks and have not operated at optimal capacity for decades.

The Warri Refinery, which reopened in December 2024, shut down in January 2025 due to safety issues, while NNPC later announced maintenance-related outages at the Port Harcourt Refinery.

Following the failure to fully revive the facilities, the Federal Government and NNPCL have continued to seek strategic investors and technical partners to restore the refineries and reduce dependence on imported petroleum products.

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Tinubu hails EFCC as FBI commends Nigeria over sextortion crackdown

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President Bola Tinubu has commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, after the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, praised the agency’s role in the arrest and extradition of suspects linked to international sextortion crimes against minors.

The commendation was contained in a statement issued on Saturday, October 31, 2026, and signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.

The FBI Director, Kash Patel, praised the EFCC in a letter addressed to its chairman, Ola Olukoyede, recognising the commission’s contribution to Operation Artemis, a joint investigation targeting criminal networks involved in the sexual exploitation and extortion of children.

The operation led to the arrest and extradition of two Nigerian suspects, Adebola Festus Adekunle and Mudasiru Afeez Olawale, to the United States in August 2026.

Patel said the successful outcome of the cases depended on the EFCC’s cooperation, stating: “The successful outcome of these cases would not have been possible without your assistance and dedication to international law enforcement collaboration.”

Reacting to the FBI’s commendation, Tinubu praised EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede and his team for their professionalism and dedication.

The President also warned against allowing Nigeria to become a safe haven for criminals who exploit innocent people.

“Nigeria must never become a haven for criminals who exploit innocent people, whether at home or abroad,” he said.

Tinubu urged the EFCC and other law enforcement agencies to sustain their efforts, assuring them of his administration’s continued support in tackling financial crimes and bringing offenders to justice.

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Group champions rebirth of Igbo spirit, decries mass exodus from Igboland

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An Igbo group, Igbochukwu Foundation, has inaugurated its Interim National Executive Council, with a mandate to champion the rebirth of the Igbo spirit, which it said encompasses excellence, hard work and unity.

The convener of the group, Dr Chike Obidigbo, and elder statesman, who spoke during the inauguration ceremony at Obu Gad, Enugwu Aguleri in Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State at the weekend, said the group was formed to champion the unity and well-being of the Igbo people, especially in the face of what he called and existential threats.

Obidigbo said Igbo people face existential threats both from actions and policies of the Federal Government, which cause marginalization and those of Igbos too, which have led to mass exodus from the region to other regions and also out of the country.

He said: “Igbochukwu Foundation has come as new way to rekindle the Igbo spirit of excellence founded on sound moral principles and dependence on God as the great artificer.

“We have come to this inescapable conclusion that unless something drastic is done, the predicted extinction of Igbo identity would come to a reality. So, instead of sustaining the usual lamentation of marginalization and discrimination, we decided to set up this foundation as a gathering of patriotic sons and daughters to seek solutions through conversations about the fate of Igbo nation.”

Speaking about the marginalization of Igbos, Obidigbo said: “Discrimination against the Igbo, which began after Nigeria gained independence from Britain on October 1, 1960, took a different dimension after the civil war, when it transformed into a national policy.

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“The discrimination faced by Igbo, combined with divergent post-independence interests among the major ethnic groups, culminated in the Nigerian Civil War, which pitched the rest of Nigeria against the Igbo ethnic group. But, instead of riding on the lessons of the civil war, Ndigbo decided to recoil from their cultural identity in the rush to embrace alien cultures and practices, which were aggravated by mass exodus from Igbo heartland.

“Therefore, Igbochukwu Foundation is coming at the right time to help in reversing the negative socio-cultural trends, while serving as the platform for value re-orientation and thought leadership on Igbo affairs.”

The highpoint of the gathering was the inauguration of the Interim National Executive Council, with His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. R. C. Opoko, JP as President General.

Opoko in his acceptance speech outlined the vision of the foundation, saying it is to peacefully and diligently pursue the cause of Ndigbo, whose way of life and culture are rooted in the principles and dictates of the Supreme God, also known as Chukwu Okike Abiama.

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US court rejects bid to obtain evidence from Tinubu, DCI group in FOIA case

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A United States federal court has rejected Aaron Greenspan’s request to obtain evidence from President Bola Tinubu and DCI Group in an ongoing Freedom of Information Act, FOIA, case.

The US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled on October 30, 2026, that Greenspan’s proposed discovery over alleged cyberattacks on his website was not sufficiently relevant to the FOIA dispute involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA.

The court also rejected a request by Karl Von Batten, who is not a party to the case, to file an amicus curiae brief.

It equally denied Greenspan’s request for judicial notice and his motion for summary judgment.

Reacting to the ruling, attorney Christopher W. Carmichael said the decision made clear that the FOIA case could not be used to pursue issues outside the legal questions before the court.

“The Court’s decision makes clear that this Freedom of Information Act proceeding cannot be used to pursue discovery unrelated to the legal questions before it,” Carmichael said.

Attorney Oluwole Afolabi also confirmed that the court had denied Greenspan’s motion for summary judgment and rejected the request to introduce an amicus brief.

The underlying FOIA litigation involving the FBI and DEA remains ongoing.

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