The House of Representatives has opened investigations into allegations of money laundering and abuse of office against the Executive Vice President, Downstream, of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Dr Mumuni Dagazau, alongside a separate petition seeking the cancellation of gas distribution licences held by NIPCO Plc in six locations across five states and free trade zones.
The investigations, announced on Monday by the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), will examine allegations that could have significant implications for Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector.
The committee’s chairman, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, disclosed this at the technical briefing marking the end of Downstream Week 2026 in Abuja.
He said two sub-committees had been established to conduct preliminary investigations into the petitions, stressing that the allegations would be thoroughly examined.
A sub-committee chaired by Aliyu Ibrahim Al-Mustapha, with Cyril Hart as deputy, has been given seven days to investigate the petition against Dagazau and report its findings to the main committee.
The second sub-committee, chaired by Mathew Nwogu and assisted by Shehu Dalhatu, will investigate a petition seeking the suspension and cancellation of gas distribution licences issued to NIPCO Plc by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The petition covers Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and Osun states, as well as the Lagos and Lekki Free Trade Zones. The petitioners have also demanded a public hearing.
Ugochinyere, however, cautioned that the petitions remained allegations and that the committee had not reached any conclusions.
“These are allegations, and the Committee has reached no conclusion on them. All parties will be given a full and fair opportunity to be heard,” he said.
He added that the committee would not ignore complaints capable of undermining public confidence in the downstream petroleum sector, promising that Nigerians would be informed of the outcome of the investigations.
Neither NIPCO Plc nor Dagazau had publicly responded to the petitions as of Monday.
Pipeline Security Under Scrutiny
In a separate development, the committee called on the Federal Government to increase funding for pipeline surveillance, warning that inadequate and delayed logistics could undermine efforts to protect critical petroleum infrastructure and sustain rising crude oil production.
Ugochinyere attributed the significant improvement in crude oil output and supply to enhanced pipeline surveillance and security, arguing that more effective protection of pipelines would reduce crude losses, improve feedstock availability for domestic refineries and increase government revenue.
He urged the Federal Government to release funds and operational logistics to surveillance contractors promptly, expressing confidence that Nigeria could achieve its target of producing three million barrels of crude oil per day with adequate support.
The committee also raised concerns about the availability of crude oil for domestic refineries, insisting that investments in local refining would remain vulnerable without reliable feedstock supplies.
It said it was pursuing legislative measures to strengthen crude supply obligations, protect domestic refiners and guarantee fair access to the market.
On petroleum product imports, the committee maintained that import licences should only be used to address verified domestic supply shortfalls rather than serve as a permanent alternative to local refining.
It also disclosed that it had rejected a World Bank recommendation on import licences, insisting that Nigeria’s energy policy must reflect the country’s domestic priorities.
The committee further said it had questioned NNPC Limited over legacy transactions and refinery rehabilitation, while opening an inquiry into alleged underpayment for crude oil by some companies.
Ugochinyere declared that the committee would not accept silence from parties asked to account for issues under investigation.
Reps Back Tinubu, Dangote, NMDPRA
Despite the investigations and concerns over crude supply, pipeline security and market regulation, the committee passed votes of confidence on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the leadership of the NMDPRA and Aliko Dangote at the end of Downstream Week 2026.
Ugochinyere commended NMDPRA Chief Executive, Rabiu Abdullahi Umar, and the authority’s executive directors, citing improvements in domestic petrol supply and regulatory operations.
According to figures presented at the briefing, domestic refineries’ contribution to national petrol supply had increased by more than 75 per cent, with no supply shortfalls recorded and more than 25 days of national sufficiency maintained.
The committee also cited the commissioning of the Port Harcourt petroleum product laboratory, the licensing of a petroleum liquid trading exchange and the finalisation of a framework for a national strategic petroleum stock of up to 20 days, with plans to expand the reserve to 90 days in 2027.
It described Dangote Petroleum Refinery, valued at approximately $20 billion, as a strategic national investment deserving protection while insisting on fair competition in the sector.
The committee said it would continue to pursue amendments to the Petroleum Industry Act to strengthen provisions on crude supply to local refineries, licensing, domestic refining and petroleum product imports.
It also commended major petroleum , including MOMAN, DAPPMAN, IPMAN and PETROAN, for investments in depots, jetties, ucks and filling stations.
The committee said the gains recorded in domestic supply and crude production must be sustained through stronger pipeline security, reliable crude supply to local refineries and effective enforcement of petroleum sector regulations.
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