Eunice Imo
Lagos — Human rights lawyer and senior advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Femi Falana, has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, to probe the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, over alleged fraud in the importation and supply of petroleum products as well as the smuggling of the products to neighbouring countries.
In a petition dated September 12, 2022, on behalf of Falana & Falana chambers, the human right lawyer has asked the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, to investigate Nigeria’s fuel importation, mismanagement, as well as criminality of smuggling fuel from Nigeria to neighboring countries, as the NNPC contradicts itself on volume of products consumed in the country.
Falana said it was clear that the Directorate of Petroleum Resources, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, have shown that the figures of fuel importation by the NNPC are bogus and fraudulent.
“In view of the foregoing, it is crystal clear that the Directorate of Petroleum Resources, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigeria Customs Services have shown, beyond any shadow of doubt, that the figures of fuel importation by the NNPC are bogus and fraudulent.
“The monumental fraud was confirmed when the NNPC cut down supply of fuel from 102 million litres to 62 million liters per day on the basis of the order of the Federal Government,” he said.
He urged the EFCC to investigate and expose this “fraudulent act”, and that while doing this, it should also find out the quantity of crude refined locally and in foreign countries including, the West African states.
He added: “Having regards to the indictment of the NNPCL by the authorities of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigeria Custom Services we are compelled to request the Economic and Financial Crime Commission to investigate and expose the monumental fraud that has characterized fuel importation and the mismanagement of fuel subsidy by the NNPC as well as the criminality of smuggling fuel from Nigeria to neighbouring countries.
“In conducting the investigation, the EFCC should find out the quantity of barrels of crude refined locally and in foreign countries including West African states”.
Falana also pointed out that the NNPCL has deliberately refused to use the Project Aquila Software, which has a mechanism for tracking all trucks loading fuel in the country and has also refused to liaise with energy providers which has records of all cargoes arriving at the seaports in the country and those arriving at international seaports with Nigeria crude oil abroad.
“It may interest the EFCC to know the Petroleum Equalization Funds spends billions of naira annually on Project Aquila Software which has a mechanism for tracking all trucks loading fuel in Nigeria. But the NNPC has deliberately refused to use the software to track the trucks allegedly involved in loading and smuggling of fuel to neighbouring countries.
“With respect to theft of 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day, the NNPC has also refused to liaise with Llyods Intelligence Report and Thompson Reuters Ekon (both are Energy providers like Platts) which have the record of all cargoes arriving at the International seaports in all countries including our neigbouring countries,” he stated.
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