Court Orders Final Forfeiture of N3.44bn, Properties Tied to Ex-NNPC Gas Boss

ABUJA—In a decisive blow against corruption in Nigeria’s oil sector, Justice J.O. Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the final forfeiture of N3.444 billion and three prime properties linked to Salihu Nuhu Jamari, former Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s (NNPC) Gas and Power Investment Company Limited (NGPIC).

The ruling, delivered on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, followed a motion by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), filed on March 17 through Senior Advocate Ekele Iheanacho. It caps months of probes sparked by a petition on April 28, 2025, alleging a web of conspiracy, kickbacks, bribery, and money laundering involving NNPC staff and contractors.

Assets Seized in Detail

The forfeited assets include:

• An uncompleted six-bedroom semi-detached duplex with boys’ quarters at Plot 3168, Asokoro District, Abuja.
• A two-bedroom flat (Block 2, Apartment A1, Blocks EFG, Osborne II, Ikoyi, Lagos).
• A restaurant at Plot 102, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja.

This came after an interim forfeiture order on February 25, 2026, publicized in national dailies to allow challenges—none materialized.

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Roots of the Scandal

EFCC investigations revealed Jamari allegedly leveraged his NGPIC position to funnel kickbacks through private firms where he was director and signatory: Cumulus Energy Limited and Pius and Phillips Petroleum Limited. These payments stemmed from three major contracts awarded to contractors by NNPC, totaling billions.

Sources confirm the projects involved gas infrastructure and power initiatives under NGPIC, a subsidiary handling NNPC’s upstream gas and power investments. Jamari, appointed MD in 2022 amid NNPC’s restructuring, reportedly received illicit funds disguised as consultancy fees. Bank records traced over N3.44 billion laundered via these entities, part of a larger probe into NNPC procurement irregularities post-2021 Petroleum Industry Act reforms.

The petition, from whistleblowers, highlighted how contractors inflated bids and routed bribes to influence approvals. EFCC raids in 2025 recovered documents linking Jamari to suspicious transfers, including offshore accounts. No charges have been filed against him yet, but he’s under watch, with travel restrictions imposed.

Judicial Rationale and Broader Impact

Justice Abdulmalik, reviewing affidavits and evidence, deemed the EFCC’s case “meritorious.” “The assets are proceeds of unlawful activities,” he ruled, ordering their permanent transfer to the Federal Government.

This forfeiture underscores EFCC’s aggressive stance under current leadership, amid President Tinubu’s anti-graft push. NNPC, now NNPCL, has distanced itself, stating Jamari was suspended in 2025 pending probes. Critics, however, decry systemic flaws in state oil contracts, fueling calls for deeper reforms.

EFCC vows more disclosures as allied probes into NNPC vendors continue.