The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has successfully retrieved over N115 billion in unpaid statutory levies owed to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by various oil firms covering the period from 2021 to 2023. This announcement was made during a hearing by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, which is currently reviewing the 2021–2023 Oil and Gas Sector Audit Report produced by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).
Representing the EFCC, Francis Oka-Phillips Usani informed the committee, led by Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, that the recovery effort involved investigating 43 oil companies. Out of these, 24 entities were identified as having outstanding obligations, while 19 others were cleared of any liabilities. The total sum recovered consists of N76.883 billion and $81.076 million.
Usani explained that some companies remitted payments directly to the NDDC due to enforcement actions. Of the recovered funds, N73.373 billion and $67.070 million have already been transferred to the NDDC, with the remainder currently held in an EFCC recovery account. The investigation specifically targeted the three per cent statutory levy mandate.
During the session, the Senate Committee refused to accept responses from TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited regarding audit queries, citing insufficient representation, and ordered the company’s Managing Director to attend in person. Additionally, the committee issued final summons to the leadership of South Atlantic Petroleum Limited, Oando Oil Limited, Famfa Oil, and Green Energy International Limited to provide testimony at upcoming hearings.
