The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has recovered N328.9 billion out of a total N49.6 billion debt from nine major oil marketers in one year, overdue payments for oil products lifted by the firms

Disclosing this in Abuja on Wednesday, EFCC , Mr Wilson Uwujaren listed the the marketers as NNPC Retail, Conoil Plc, Total Plc, OVH Energy Plc, Oando Plc, Forte Oil and Gas Plc, Mobil Plc, MRS Oil Plc, and NIPCO Oil Plc.

He said the Kano office of the commission between July 2016 and July 2017 made the recovery.

He said the recovery, which was made by the Kano office of the commission, followed a petition alleging the management of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its subsidiary, Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), diverted the N40 billion in collusion with the major marketers.

Acting upon the petition, the EFCC, he said, invited the suspected culprits for questioning and the result is the recovered money.

He said: “The EFCC, in a swift reaction, referred the petition to a special task force which swung into action by conducting discrete investigation.

“Findings by the operatives of the EFCC revealed that the oil marketers were actually indebted to the Federal Government of Nigeria to the tune of N91.5 billion between 2010 and 2016.

“Further investigation into the allegation also revealed that the oil marketers had continued to obtain petroleum products from the government without proper payment, in violation of the NNPC/PPMC credit facility regulations.

“A probe of which further led to the discovery of N258.9 billion.’’

“So far, a sum of N328.9 billion has been recovered from the major oil marketers. The outstanding debt now stands at N20.7 billion.”