-EFCC concludes plans to invite former NNPC heads -The investigation was opened due to alleged corruption in the sector -presidency reportedly ordered fresh probe

The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) has begun fresh
investigations into the workings of the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)
The anti-corruption crusade championed by
President Muhammadu Buhari has shone its
beam on the NNPC prompting the EFCC to
conclude plans to invite former group
managing directors of the corporation in
February.
The Punch reports that on Friday, January 29,
the EFCC made plans to invite the directors
over the loss of revenue during their tenure.
They are: Dr.
Mohammed Barkindo (2009-2010); Alhaji
Shehu Ladan (April – May 2010); Mr. Austen
Oniwon (2010-2012); Andrew Yakubu
(2012-2014) and Mr. Joseph Dawha (August
2014 –2015).
According to an EFCC source, the people have
not been indicted yet but they would be
required to answer some important questions
concerning some transactions that occurred
during their tenure.
As part of the investigation, the EFCC on the
order of the presidency raided the house of
one of the former heads of one of the NNPC
subsidiaries leading to the confiscation of huge
amounts of money. The intelligence report
came from the Department of State Security
The source said: “You know that there is
collaboration between the agencies in the
ongoing efforts to recover some of these funds
from these people.
“It was the DSS that got the intelligence report
that some amount of money was being kept in
the residence of a former head of an NNPC
subsidiary.
“And the operation was partly successful
because they recovered some funds from the
residence of the man. I don’t have the
information of how much was recovered from
the man.
“All the former group managing directors of
the NNPC will be invited by the EFCC next
month. They need to make some clarifications
on their tenure. It is their explanations that
will determine, if they will be detained or not.”
Also, several top executives of the NNPC, who
served under the previous administration, had
been penciled down for probe.
The reason for the investigation is not
unconnected to probe opened by the EFCC and
the DSS last year into how the federal
government was allegedly short-changed by the
NNPC in swapping crude for refined products