Emerging report indicates that an Oil and Gas trading company, Samano SA DE CV, has accused Officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and other Personnel in government, under the Minister of Petroleum Resources, President Muhammadu Buhari’s watch, of stealing 48 million barrels of Bonny Light Crude Oil.
In a July 23, 2020, letter from Lords and Temple, signed by Gboyega Oyewole, SAN, and addressed to the Group Managing Director, GMD, NNPC, Mele Kyari, the Legal firm said that its Client was approached in 2015, by a group in China, with the intent to sell the stolen crude.
It stated that the crude was believed to have been stolen from Nigeria, and stored in various ports and terminals in China.
“It was revealed to our Client, that the NNPC authorised certain companies to sell the product in China”, the Legal firm said in its letter, which was titled: “Formal request for the payment of five percent whistleblower compensation, for information furnished in respect of crude oil stolen from the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
The Legal firm said that despite assurances to its Client, that investigations into the matter would be made, as well as the award of due compensation to its Client, no payment has been made to its Client since then.
“To date, our Client has unfortunately not received any form of compensation for the information provided to the Nigerian government, in respect of the stolen products and/or a response to its offer to legally purchase same when recovered”, it said.
When contacted, the NNPC Group General Manager, GGM, Group Public Affairs Division, GPAD, Kennie Obateru, said that the Oil firm is aware of the accusation, but would not respond now, stating: “We will not respond to it now, but at the appropriate time, we will make our position known to the public.”