A civil society group, North and South Movement for Justice, has expressed concern over the Senate Committee on Public Accounts’ investigation into alleged financial discrepancies at Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). The group’s leader, Dogo Yaya, cautioned Senator Ahmed Wadada, chairman of the committee, against pursuing a “witch-hunt” over the N210 trillion allegedly missing or unexplained funds.
The committee had given NNPCL a 10-day ultimatum to respond to 11 major financial queries, with Wadada warning of “serious constitutional consequences” for non-compliance. However, Yaya’s group accused Wadada of having a “vengeful mission” against NNPCL, saying the probe was being misrepresented as a verdict rather than an investigation.
The alleged discrepancies span 2017-2023, with Wadada citing reports from the Auditor-General of the Federation and NNPCL’s audited financial statements as basis for the probe. The senator maintained that the investigation was necessary, given the “mind-boggling and unacceptable” nature of the financial irregularities.
The group has urged the committee to conduct a fair and transparent investigation, rather than targeting NNPCL specifically. The outcome of the probe is being closely watched, with implications for Nigeria’s energy sector and governance .