Civil Rights Group for All International has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja, to compel the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the chief financial officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum CompanyLtd (NNPCL), Mr Dapo Segun, for alleged financial fraud.
The group, in a suit filed, yesterday, said the failure of the anti-corruption agency to investigate the CFO in connection with the acquisition of the OVH Energy by the NNPC and the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries amounted to failure of its statutory duty and therefore constitutes an abuse of powers, ultra vires.
The suit marked: FHC/ ABJ/CS/1580/2025, has EFCC and Dapo Segun as the 1st and 2nd respondents respectively.
Amongst the reliefs sought includes an Order of Mandamus directing the EFCC “to within 7 days commence investigation of the fraudulent conduct or role of the 2nd respondent, as the Chief Financial Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, in connection with the acquisition of OVH Energy by the NNPCL and rehabilitation of the Port-Harcourt and Warri Refineries and to publish the Report of the Investigation within 14 days of its conclusion”.
The applicant further sought another order of mandamus compelling the EFCC to immediately arrest and prosecute the 2nd respondent in the event he was indicted of corruption allegations at the end of the investigation.
Besides, the group is also seeking for an interim order directing Segun to step aside and cease from performing his duty as Chief Financial Officer, so as to prevent possible tampering with or altering any documents or records material to the investigation into his role in the acquisition of the OVH Energy by the NNPCL and rehabilitation of the Port-Harcourt and Warri Refineries, pending the hearing and determination of the Substantive Motion on Notice for Judicial Review.
The group hinged the suit on the grounds that Segun was the former Executive Vice President (Downstream) and now the Chief Financial Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, and in that official capacity, supervised the acquisition of the OVH Energy by the NNPCL as well as rehabilitation of the Port-Harcourt and Warri Refineries, with their attendant and manifest irregularities.
” That sometime in October, 2022 it was announced that NNPCL had acquired OVH Energy Marketing, owners and operators of the Oando downstream assets, however, the price at which it bought it and the company that sold it were not disclosed but concealed from the public with the active participation of the 2nd respondent.
“The fraudulent acquisition of OVH Energy by NNPCL which saw a foreigner who managed OVH emerging as head of the NNPCL Retail when he lacks the capacity to rejig the entity.
“The monumental fraudulent scheme in NNPCL, under the 2nd respondent, led to NNPCL top officials using the company for products racketeering and other sharp practices.
“While under the supervision of the 2nd Respondent, the NNPCL acquired OVH Energy in which the whooping sum of $325.09 million (N140.559 billion) was paid but full take over remains a subject of controversy still under investigation in the House of Representatives where investigation of Turnaround maintenance of refineries and state of the refineries and OVH Acquisition are currently been investigated.
“Presently, under the 2nd Respondent, about 3 Billion United States Dollars have been sunk in the rehabilitation of the refineries, with no significant result till date.
“In view of the monumental fraud evident in the acquisition of the OVH Energy and the rehabilitation of the refineries, the 1st Respondent (EFCC) have commenced investigation of the officers of the NNPCL, however, it deliberately excluded the 2nd Respondent, the main official, who personally supervised all the affairs of the NNPCL under investigation.
“Today, the 2nd Respondent has been appointed and resumed duties as the Chief Financial Officer of the NNPCL and in charge and custody of all the documents and records relating to the acquisition of the OVH Energy and the rehabilitation of the refineries”.
The plaintiff submitted that the selective action of the EFCC in refusing to investigate the 2nd Respondent, being the principal character involved in the obvious act of economic and financial crimes over the commonwealth of the Nigerian people, is an abuse of power, ultra vires the powers of the 1st Respondent and an act of bad faith.
“The position of trust as the Chief Financial Officer of the NNPCL places the 2nd Respondent in a position to alter, tamper or even damage or interfere with documents or records relating to the acquisition of the OVH Energy and the rehabilitation of the refineries.
“It is unfair and inimical to overall national interest for the 2nd Respondent to remain in office as the Chief Financial Officer of the NNPCL while investigation into the affairs of the company, in which the 2nd Respondent played a pivotal role is being investigated.
“Corruption is a national challenge and every citizen has a duty to fight same and it will be in the interest of justice for this Court to grant the Reliefs as well as the interim orders sought herein.
“The 1st Respondent is now selectively investigating a case of Abuse of Office and Misappropriation of Funds against only 14 individuals including Abubakar Lawal Yar’Adua, Mele Kolo Kyari, Isiaka Abdulrazak, Umar Ajiya, Dikko Ahmed, Ibrahim Onoja, amongst others and without the inclusion of the 2nd Respondent, who it has been shielding from investigation.
“It is in the interest of justice to allow this Application by compelling the Ist Respondent to undertake its statutory duties”, the group argued.
Meanwhile, the group has also prayed the court for Leave to serve the substantive Motion on Notice for Judicial Review and any other process(es) in this Suit upon the 2nd Respondent by delivering to the Legal Department of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited at its head office at Central Business District, Abuja.
The group further asked for an order abridging the time within which the Respondents would respond to or file their respective defences or counter affidavit to the substantive Motion on Notice for Judicial Review to a period of 7 days from the date of service.
Besides, the applicant sought another order directing an accelerated hearing and determination of this Suit.
Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for the hearing in the matter.
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