The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday handed over a total sum of N3.9 billion recovered proceeds of fraud to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

The anti-graft agency disclosed this in a statement released on Wednesday. The presentation was made on behalf of the Chairman of the Commission, Ola Olukoyede, by the Secretary to the Commission, Mohammed Hammajoda, at a ceremony held at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.

Hammajoda stated that the funds were recovered through investigations that uncovered fraudulent engagements by some actors within the NNPCL.

“So, on behalf of the EFCC, I present the sum of three billion, nine hundred and thirty-six million, one hundred and forty-five thousand, eight hundred and twenty-two naira to you,” he said.

Receiving the funds on behalf of NNPCL, the Executive Vice President, Downstream, Mumuni Dagazau, expressed gratitude to the Commission for its assistance in the recovery, highlighting it as a demonstration of the core unity within the system.

“The NNPC, over the years, has had its struggles and challenges, and one thing we have always tried to do is correct the system. When the opportunity came for this recovery from your team that handled this, it was something I was really proud of. I was also happy that we brought it to the EFCC to help and support us. We are very excited. For me, this is a great day for us. We will continue to rely on you for assistance, and this is a real commitment for us moving forward,” Dagazau said.

NNPCL Fund Accountability Under Scrutiny

Controversy has been trailing fund accountability in the NNPCL in recent times. Earlier this year, the EFCC arraigned two suspects for their alleged involvement in a N600 million job fraud linked to the NNPCL. The suspects were arraigned before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja on charges of fraud, obtaining money by false pretence, and forgery.

According to the EFCC, the suspects were accused of defrauding a victim of N603,400,000 by falsely promising to secure her appointment as Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. The alleged offences contravene sections of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, as well as the Penal Code Law on forgery.

Last year, the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the temporary freezing of four Jaiz Bank accounts linked to Mele Kyari, a former Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), over allegations bordering on fraud. In July 2025, the Senate stated that the NNPCL had yet to account for N210 trillion highlighted in the 2017–2023 audit report by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Aliyu Wadada, made this disclosure during a resumed hearing on the audit report. Wadada clarified that the Senate did not accuse the NNPCL of theft but was demanding accountability for the N210 trillion flagged in the audit, in line with its duty to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.