Ethnic Nationalities Sue EFCC, NNPCL Chief Financial Officer over Refineries’ Rehabilitation 

Alex Enumah in Abuja 

Youth leaders from Igbo, Yoruba, Arewa and Niger Delta ethnic nationalities have dragged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Dapo Segun, before a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, over alleged fraud surrounding the rehabilitation of the federal government refineries.

The suit which is the third to be filed is seeking reforms and transparency in the oil industry. 

Plaintiffs, Ezekiel Amadi, Bamidele Moses and Amaefule Innocent, who sued for themselves and on behalf of Ethnic Youth Leaders Council, are seeking for mandatory sack, arrest, investigation, and prosecution of the former EVP downstream, whose tenure they claimed, saw the mismanagement of the refinery rehabilitation that cost Nigeria over five trillion naira. 

In the suit dated August 15, and marked: FHC/CS/157/2025, plaintiffs are asking for numerous declarations and mandamus against the EFCC and Dapo Segun, who are the 1st and 2nd defendants respectively.

Among the reliefs they are seeking, according to their lawyer, M.O Osuji,  include, “An Order of court granting leave to the applicant to bring an application for mandamus directing the 1st defendant to commence investigation of the activities and role of the 2nd defendant as the Chief Financial Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, in connection with the acquisition of the of OVH Energy by the NNPCL and rehabilitation of the Port-Harcourt and Warri refineries. 

“An interim order of court directing the 2nd respondent (Dapo Segun) to forthwith step aside as the Chief Financial Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and cease the performance of any duty pertaining thereto, tampering with or altering any documents or records material to the investigation into his conduct and/or role in the acquisition of the of 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. 

“An order of court granting Leave to the applicant to serve the, the order granting leave to the applicant, Motion on Notice for Judicial Review and any other process(es) in this Suit on the 2nd defendant by substituted means to wit: delivering all the aforementioned court processes to the Legal Department of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited at its head office at Central Business District, Abuja. 

Plaintiffs are also seeking an order of court directing an accelerated hearing and determination of the case.