Umar Ajiyia Isa, former Chief Finance Officer (CFO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), has refuted media reports claiming the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested him over a $7.2 billion refinery fraud.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Isa clarified that he willingly visited the EFCC for questioning and returned home the same day.
“No one arrested me for any $7.2 billion related to refinery fraud. I voluntarily reported to the EFCC for questioning and left afterward. The reports suggesting otherwise are false and misleading,” Isa said.
He maintained that he served at NNPCL with integrity and never faced any accusations of fraud throughout his career at the state-owned oil company.
“I left NNPCL with my record intact. Those pushing this false narrative of arrest and detention are simply trying to damage my reputation,” he stated.
Isa reaffirmed his readiness to cooperate with investigators whenever necessary. “I am in Nigeria, and anytime the EFCC invites me, I will appear without hesitation,” he added.
His comments follow rising scrutiny of NNPCL’s financial operations. Last week, the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, led by Senator Aliyu Wadada, flagged serious discrepancies in the company’s audited financial statements covering 2017 to 2023.
The committee described its findings as “mind-boggling and worrisome,” and issued 11 queries to the NNPCL finance department, demanding written responses within a week.