EFCC Quizzes Acting PH Refinery Boss as Security Operatives Clash in NNPCL Shake-Up

A fresh wave of tension has rocked the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) following the interrogation of the Acting Managing Director of the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), Mr. Jelili Ademoye, by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday.

The development followed NNPCL’s abrupt dismissal of the managing directors of its three state-owned refineries—PHRC, Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC)—in what insiders described as a major internal shake-up aimed at overhauling the struggling sector.

Ademoye, who assumed control of the PHRC just hours earlier after the exit of former MD Ibrahim Onoja, was reportedly picked up in a surprise operation carried out by EFCC operatives at the refinery premises.

Sources familiar with the incident told Platform Times that the anti-graft agents arrived at the facility around 1:00 pm, disregarded security protocols, and proceeded directly to Ademoye’s office, where he was taken away in an unmarked vehicle.

The operation, which took refinery staff by surprise, is believed to be linked to sensitive documents allegedly left behind by the former managing director.

What began as a covert operation quickly escalated into a near-crisis, as security personnel from the Department of State Services (DSS) and military units stationed at the facility reportedly confronted the EFCC team.

A standoff ensued after one of the EFCC operatives allegedly cocked his rifle, prompting a heightened security alert and a tense face-off between the agencies.

“There was real fear that things could spiral out of control. If anyone had pulled the trigger, lives would have been lost over an internal turf war,” one eyewitness said.

The incident has sparked widespread concern over the aggressive methods used by law enforcement in corruption probes, as well as the growing friction between Nigeria’s security agencies during high-profile operations.

It also raises fresh questions about the NNPCL’s internal oversight and the transparency of its operations—particularly as the country struggles to revive its dormant refineries amid ongoing fuel import dependency.

Neither the EFCC nor the NNPCL had issued an official statement as of press time.