THE former Chief Finance Officer (CFO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Umar Ajiyia Isa, has dismissed reports claiming he was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with a $7.2 billion fraud linked to transactions at the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries.
In a statement released yesterday, Isa clarified that he was not arrested, but voluntarily presented himself to the EFCC for questioning. He expressed disappointment over what he described as a deliberate attempt to tarnish his reputation.
“Nobody arrested me for any $7.2 billion in relation to any refinery fraud,” Isa stated. “I voluntarily submitted myself for questioning to the EFCC and thereafter I went home. To see in the media stories of my arrest over fraud is unfortunate.”
Isa emphasized that his record at NNPCL was clean and that he left the organization with his integrity intact, adding that he remains willing to cooperate with the EFCC whenever called upon.
His statement follows recent developments at the Senate, where the Committee on Public Accounts raised concerns over discrepancies in NNPCL’s audited financial statements from 2017 to 2023.
The committee issued 11 audit queries to the NNPCL finance team, demanding explanations within one week.