The Nigerian Accountability and Leadership Alliance (NALA) has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Police to investigate alleged $1.5 million crude oil supply fraud involving some top officials in the NNPCL.
Speaking during a protest in Abuja, spokesperson of the group, Comrade Lion Agorry, said the EFCC and police need to give swift attention to the investigation and see to its conclusive end.
The group said: “We have through series of investigations uncovered myriads of documents and petitions indicting some serving and non-serving members of staff, lawyers and certain individuals who through false pretense collected $1,536,000 million dollars in a manner that epitomises the classic advance fee fraud known popularly as 419.
“In documents already in the public domain, it was revealed that one Mr Luckson Emmanuel of L/J Holdings (the purported seller and representative of the NNPC) on June 2, 2025 in a purchase and sales agreement signed by Licena the DMCC (the victim) brazenly used the logo and particulars of the NNPC to collect funds for the purpose of crude oil sales.
“In these documents, the Executive Vice President (Upstream) Mr Udobong Ntia, signed in his capacity, while Danny Kwon signed in the capacity of the Escrow agent/attorney for the NNPCL. These actions consolidated the faith of LICENA on the authenticity of the deal.
“In fulfilment of the Escrow agreement, Licena transferred the following funds to the law office of Danny Kwon, the purported lawyer to escrow funds of the NNPC to wit: $136,000 on August 10 2025; $200,000 on November 13, 2025; $645,000 on September 26, 2025; $500,000 on November 12, 2025 and $55,000 on November 13, 2025 totalling $1,536,000.
“In a letter signed by the NNPC Limited General Counsel and Company Secretary, Mrs Adesua Dozie, dated January 13, 2026, the NNPC denied involvement in the deal.
“According to the letter, the NNPC is not involved in the fraud scheme adding that the documents in question did not emanate from the NNPCL.
“Meanwhile, contrary to the NNPC’s position in another letter signed by the Chairman/CEO of the LJ Holdings LLC, Mr Luckson Emmanuel, dated January 20, 2026, he insisted that the particulars and documents including those from the NNPC are very valid and authentic to the parameters of the deal.
“However, the Executive Vice President (Upstream), Mr Udobong Ntia, whose name featured prominently in the deal has till press time refused to respond to letters sent to his desk.
“The law is trite on the use of false pretense (a lie of misleading act) to dishonestly obtain property that can be stolen or induce someone to deliver it. Section 419 of Nigeria’s Criminal Code Act deals decisively with obtaining by false pretences, making it a felony to use false statements or conduct, with intent to defraud, to get anything capable of being stolen, punishable by imprisonment for three to seven years.
“The federal republic of Nigeria under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, is employing tremendous effort to not only get things right but to reshape the narrative surrounding the good image of our beloved country, Nigeria.
“It is thus ignoble on the part of any public officer, particularly the management of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, under the leadership of Mr Bayo Ojulari, which is a major economic hub of Nigeria, to sabotage the efforts of this government.
“Given Nigeria’s battered image abroad, and the rampant fraud allegations within and outside the NNPCL, we humbly call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Nigerian Police to give swift attention to the investigation and see to its conclusive end.
“We also call on the management of the NNPCL, particularly, the GCEO Mr Bayo Ojulari, and the Executive Vice President (Upstream), Mr Udobong Ntia, to better exonerate themselves by officially writing to relevant anti-graft agencies to investigate the use of the logo and particulars of the NNPC by unauthorised persons.” News credit: Independent.ng