[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has recovered a total sum of N328, 988,296,990.62 from nine major oil marketers across the country.
The retail marketers are – Conoil Plc, Total Plc, OVH Energy Plc, Oando Plc, Forte Oil and Gas Plc, Mobil Plc, MRS Oil Plc and NIPCO Oil Plc.
According to a statement issued by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, the breakthrough was the consequence of an investigation into alleged diversion of N40 billion by the affected marketers.
The recovery followed a petition against the some heads at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its subsidiary, Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC).
The statement said: “The petition alleged that a whooping sum of N40 billion had been diverted by the major oil marketers in connivance with the leadership of the NNPC and PPMC.
“The EFCC in a swift reaction referred the petition to a special task force who swung into action by conducting discrete investigation.
“Findings by the operatives of the EFCC revealed that the oil marketers were actually indebted to the Federal Government of Nigeria to the tune of N91, 519,485,204.44 between 2010 and 2016.
“Further investigation into the allegation also revealed that the oil marketers had continued to obtain petroleum products from the government without proper payment, in violation of the NNPC/PPMC credit facility regulations.
“The probe further led to the discovery of N258,928,926,351.93. Following the latter discovery, the total amount of debt stands at N349,818,411,556.37.
“Upon the conclusion of the preliminary investigation, officials of NNPC/PPMC and all the managing directors of the concerned companies which are NNPC retails, Conoil Plc, Total Plc, OVH Energy Plc, Oando Plc, Forte Oil and Gas Plc, Mobil Plc, MRS Oil Plc, and NIPCO Oil Plc were invited to the Kano Zonal Office of the Commission where their statements were recorded following which the recovery process commenced.
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