‘Nigeria is a crime scene’ - Peter Obi slams NNPC ₦210trn scandal

Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has condemned the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) over allegations of staggering financial irregularities amounting to ₦210 trillion, describing the country as a “crime scene” under siege by corruption.

Reacting to recent Senate audit findings covering NNPC’s financial operations between 2017 and 2023, Obi, in a strongly worded statement issued on Friday, June 20, said the scope of the irregularities is not only alarming but a stark reflection of a system deeply entrenched in impunity.

According to the Senate’s audit, the NNPC failed to account for ₦107 trillion in “receivables” while also recording ₦103 trillion in vaguely defined “accrued expenses.”

Obi noted that this combined sum of ₦210 trillion dwarfs Nigeria’s entire national budget of ₦88.01 trillion for the same period.

“There is no documentation. No accountability. No consequences. This is not just another scandal; it is a clear and damning confirmation of a nation held hostage by monumental corruption,” Obi said.

The former Anambra State governor decried the absence of fiscal discipline and called for urgent action to halt what he termed “a criminal institutionalised betrayal of the Nigerian people.”

Obi Gives Crucial Warning

He warned that failure to address this systemic rot would pose a “grave threat to the future of the society our children will live in,” urging a national reckoning with the truth of Nigeria’s governance failures.

“No responsible nation can continue to function like this without confronting this truth. This criminality masquerading as governance must be stopped and dismantled for a better Nigeria,” he said.

The NNPC, now operating as a limited liability company, has not officially responded to the Senate’s audit revelations as of press time.

However, Obi’s comments have reignited public outrage over transparency in the petroleum sector, which remains Nigeria’s economic backbone.

As calls grow louder for a comprehensive probe and prosecution of those responsible, Obi’s intervention has added significant political weight to demands for sweeping reform.