Former NNPCL Finance Chief Denies Allegation of ₦210 Trillion Missing Funds -

Former Chief Financial Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Alhaji Umar Ajiya, has strongly denied allegations that ₦210 trillion went missing from the company during his tenure.

The accusation was recently raised by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, which claimed that the huge sum disappeared from the national oil company between 2017 and 2023, a period when Ajiya and the former NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kolo Kyari, were responsible for managing the company’s financial and administrative affairs.

Speaking on behalf of Ajiya, the Chairman of the Ajiya Solidarity Forum, Comrade Usman Abubakar, rejected the allegation in an interview with Hausa Daily Times and NTA Sokoto. He described the claim as unrealistic and difficult to believe.

It will be recalled that a few weeks ago, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Ahmad Aliyu Wadada, announced during a press briefing in Abuja that former top officials of NNPCL would be summoned to appear before the committee. According to him, the officials would be required to answer questions regarding the alleged disappearance of ₦210 trillion from the company’s accounts.

However, Abubakar dismissed the allegation, describing it as something “that does not make sense.” He argued that the amount mentioned is so enormous that it would be impossible for such funds to go missing without being noticed for such a long period. According to him, the sum is large enough to finance Nigeria’s national budgets for several years.

He also stated that Alhaji Umar Ajiya is ready to honour the Senate committee’s invitation and appear before it to defend himself. Abubakar said Ajiya possesses sufficient evidence to clear his name from what he described as baseless accusations.

He further insisted that there is no truth in the claim that Ajiya and Mele Kyari mismanaged or diverted NNPCL funds during their time in office.

In a surprising twist, Abubakar alleged that the Senate committee chairman, Senator Wadada, raised the issue after failing to obtain a $500,000 bribe he allegedly demanded from Ajiya.

On behalf of the former finance chief, Abubakar called on Nigerians to disregard the allegations made by the Senate committee.

He concluded by stating that Ajiya is prepared to present evidence publicly to prove the bribery request allegedly made by Senator Wadada and will cooperate fully with any authority willing to conduct a transparent investigation so that the truth can prevail.