The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has recovered over N5bn and $10m from contractors and officials implicated in the fraudulent turnaround maintenance of the nation’s refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna, and Warri.

The anti-graft agency is also pursuing another N10bn and $13m traced to contractors who allegedly siphoned funds meant for rehabilitation. Top EFCC sources revealed that fraudulent practices such as over-invoicing, contract inflation, and questionable payments were largely responsible for the continued non-performance of the refineries despite decades of heavy funding.

Nigeria’s four refineries have remained dormant despite billions of dollars allocated for their rehabilitation. Investigators said $1.55bn was released for Port Harcourt, $740.6m for Kaduna, and $656.9m for Warri, yet the plants have remained idle. Former and serving officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited have been repeatedly interrogated in connection with the contracts.
A senior EFCC source confirmed the scale of the fraud: “Our investigation into the turnaround maintenance of the nation’s refineries in Warri, Kaduna and Port Harcourt, have yielded major discoveries of large-scale fraud. Investigators discovered fraudulent dealings through over-invoicing, contract inflation and questionable payments were largely responsible for the malfunctioning of the refineries.”

Another EFCC official added that “a total sum of $10m and N5bn have so far been recovered from suspects indicted in the fraud. The recoveries were made from some contractors and government officials involved in over-invoicing and inflated payments.”

The agency has concluded investigations into some officials of the NNPCL and is preparing charges. “Both former management and present management of the NNPCL and refineries may be charged,” the source disclosed, adding that another $13m and N10bn were due to be recovered. Fresh allegations of contract inflation worth $40m are also under probe.