Update: EFCC Detectives Raid PPPRA, NNPC

SAN FRANCISCO, January 16, (THEWILL) - Detectives attached to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Monday raided the offices of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in a Abuja, as it commenced its investigations into subsidy payments made by the regulator and the corruption plagued oil corporation.

Recall that the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Deziani Alison-Madueke had written a letter to the EFCC Acting Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, inviting him to investigate all the payments made on the federal government’s subsidy policy since inception of the program, following several allegations that most of the payments were fraudulent and ridiculous.

Detectives took away files and computers, while they questioned some officials during the raid.

EFCC Sources told THEWILL Monday after the raid on both the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that the Acting Chairman of the commission, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, is leading the investigation into the importation of petrol and Kerosene, and payments made to importers.

EFCC’s Spokesperson, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren in a chat with THEWILL correspondent added that the commission would contact foreign governments to assist it look into shipping papers and documentations of petrol/kerosene vessels that ferried products to Nigeria, in order to compare figures with what was recorded at the PPRA and NNPC.

He assured that the commission would bring anyone or group(S) found guilty of corruption and theft of public funds to justice.

Last year, subsidy payments made to fuel importers topped a record N1.3 trillion, as revealed recently by the federal government.

Labour unions and stakeholders during the just called off nationwide strike and protests accused petroleum ministry officials and marketers of over invoicing and stealing billions from the nation’s treasury hiding under the subsidy program.