Former Chief Finance Officer (CFO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Umar Ajiyia Isa, has refuted media reports claiming he was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged $7.2 billion refinery fraud.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Isa clarified that he was not arrested but had voluntarily appeared before the EFCC in connection with ongoing investigations. He insisted that no charges had been filed against him.
“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.”
He described the reports as a deliberate attempt to smear his name, adding that he left NNPCL with his integrity intact. “Nobody has accused me of any fraud throughout my sojourn at the company. People who are pushing this false narrative of arrest and detention just want to tarnish my reputation.”
Isa also affirmed his willingness to continue cooperating with the EFCC: “I am in this country and any day and any time the EFCC requests me to appear before them, I will be present.”
The clarification comes amid growing scrutiny of the NNPCL’s financial practices. Last week, the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, led by Senator Aliyu Wadada, raised alarm over “mind-boggling” discrepancies in the company’s audited financial statements from 2017 to 2023.
The committee issued 11 financial queries to NNPCL’s finance team and demanded responses within a week.
What you should know
Umar Ajiyia Isa, former CFO of NNPCL, insists he was not arrested by the EFCC over the reported $7.2bn refinery fraud but voluntarily presented himself for questioning, maintaining his innocence and readiness to defend his integrity.
