NNPC denies exporting 17.87m barrels of oil without documentation

By Abubakar Yunus Abuja

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited says it did not export 17.877 million barrels of crude oil without proper documentation from 2016 to 2020.

A report, quoting the former auditor-general of the federation (AuGF), had accused some exporters of shipping crude oil without completing the required Nigeria export proceeds (NXP) forms.

The AuGF was also said to have faulted NNPC Limited for appointing inspection agents in 2017, in flagrant disregard of a preceding directive by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Responding to the report in a statement on Thursday, Garba Deen Muhammad, NNPC’s spokesperson, said the claims were ‘malicious’.

Muhammad said the AuGF’s report mentioned 32 oil marketing companies involved in the non-completion of NXP forms.

He added that the issue did not affect repatriation of sales proceeds to the national oil company and subsequently, the federal accounts, for the period in question.

“Our attention has been drawn to an online publication, alleging that NNPC Limited exported 17.877 million barrels of crude oil without proper documentation in four years (2016 to 2020),” the statement reads.

“The auditor-general’s report in reference did mention 32 oil marketing companies involved in the non-completion of the NXP forms but that does not in any way mean that the proceeds from the sale of the said crude were not repatriated into the coffers of NNPC Limited and consequently into the federation accounts for federation related barrels.

“It should also be noted that NNPC Limited does not appoint inspection agents as alleged, but rather, it is the sole responsibility of the federal ministry of finance.

“Therefore, the general public is advised to disregard the said malicious publication, and instead, visit the relevant auditor-general’s website to see the full content of the audit report, and be guided accordingly.”