The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has recovered billions of naira and dollars in unpaid statutory levies owed to the Niger Delta Development Commission by oil companies operating in the Niger Delta.
The EFCC disclosed this on Wednesday before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts during its investigation into alleged financial infractions contained in the 2021–2023 Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Oil and Gas Sector Audit Report.
The commission’s representative, Francis Oka-Phillips Usani, said 43 oil companies were investigated, with 24 found to have outstanding liabilities of N76.88bn and $81.08m.
He said the remaining 19 companies were cleared after the investigation, which focused primarily on the mandatory three per cent levy payable to the NDDC by relevant companies operating in the Niger Delta.
Usani said the EFCC’s intervention also led some indebted companies to make direct payments of N6.71bn and $16.99m to the NDDC.
He added that the commission had so far released N73.37bn and $67.07m to the NDDC from recovered funds, while N3.51bn and $14m remained in the EFCC recovery account.
Meanwhile, the Senate committee has ordered the Managing Director of TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited to appear personally before it after rejecting the company’s attempt to respond to queries through a representative.
The committee also gave a final opportunity to the managing directors of South Atlantic Petroleum, Oando Oil, Famfa Oil and Green Energy International to appear personally and respond to queries arising from the NEITI audit report.
The committee chairman, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, said the investigation would continue on Thursday.
The probe is examining compliance by oil companies with statutory financial obligations to the NDDC and the Federal Government.
