The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has recovered more than N115bn and $84m in outstanding statutory levies owed the Niger Delta Development Commission by oil companies, the agency told the Senate on Wednesday.
The disclosure was made before the Senate Public Accounts Committee during its investigation into issues raised in the 2021–2023 Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Oil and Gas Industry Audit Reports. The EFCC investigated 43 oil companies, with 24 found to have outstanding liabilities from the three per cent statutory levy payable to the NDDC.
Francis Usani, representing the EFCC, said the 24 companies initially owed N76.88bn and $81.08m, while 19 companies were cleared. Following the investigation, affected firms paid N6.71bn and $16.99m directly to the NDDC.
The EFCC also recovered additional funds, releasing N73.37bn and $67.07m to the NDDC, while N3.51bn and $14.01m remained in its recovery account. Usani clarified that the investigation focused primarily on unpaid NDDC levies but did not rule out other unpaid statutory obligations and taxes.
The Senate committee, chaired by Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, is examining whether failures to remit statutory payments contributed to revenue leakages in the oil and gas sector. The probe is part of a wider review of the 2021, 2022 and 2023 NEITI audits, which examine payments, revenues and transactions involving extractive companies and government agencies.
The committee has also summoned the managing directors of several major oil companies to personally respond to audit queries. TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited was ordered to have its managing director appear next week, while South Atlantic Petroleum, Oando Oil, Famfa Oil and Green Energy International were given a final opportunity to appear before the panel.
The Senate said the investigation would continue until outstanding issues in the NEITI reports were fully explained and reconciled. The probe could lead to further recoveries, summonses or enforcement recommendations against companies found to have failed to meet their statutory obligations.
