Panic broke out at the Port Harcourt Refinery on Wednesday after operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) stormed the facility and took away the acting Managing Director, Jelili Ademoye, for questioning.
The incident happened just hours after the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) carried out a major shake-up, removing the managing directors of all three state-owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna, and Warri. The move has drawn attention from industry stakeholders concerned about transparency and accountability in the company’s operations.
The NNPC announced late Tuesday that it had relieved Ibrahim Onoja (Port Harcourt Refining Company), Dr. Mustafa Sugungun (Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company), and Efifia Chu (Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company) of their positions. The reasons for the sudden changes were not officially disclosed, but insiders linked it to growing pressure on the NNPC to reform its management amid questions over performance and project delays.
Eyewitnesses at the Port Harcourt refinery said EFCC operatives arrived between 1pm and 2pm and bypassed regular security procedures. Their main aim, sources claimed, was to prevent the former MD, Ibrahim Onoja, from removing any sensitive materials or documents. However, when the officers couldn’t locate Onoja, they instead picked up Ademoye, the acting MD, and drove him away in a waiting vehicle.
The unexpected raid left staff shocked, with some expressing fears that it could signal deeper investigations into refinery operations and finances. “Everyone was confused; they just walked in like they were on a mission. No greetings, no protocol,” a staff member said.
Though details of Ademoye’s interrogation remain unclear, sources say the EFCC is probing alleged irregularities in the operations of the refinery under Onoja’s leadership. The refinery has been at the centre of national debate in recent years, as billions of naira have been spent on rehabilitation with little visible progress.
Efforts to get an official statement from the EFCC on the purpose of the visit or the outcome of Ademoye’s questioning were unsuccessful as at press time.
The development is expected to intensify scrutiny of NNPC’s handling of the nation’s refineries, which have remained largely non-functional despite repeated promises of revamp.
With Nigeria still relying heavily on imported refined petroleum products, the performance of its refineries remains a critical issue in public discourse.
