The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has uncovered a massive fraud scandal in the turnaround maintenance of Nigeria’s refineries, recovering over ₦5 billion and $10 million from indicted contractors and government officials.

According to insider sources, the anti-graft agency is now pursuing the recovery of an additional ₦10 billion and $13 million believed to have been siphoned through inflated contracts and fraudulent invoicing.

Records show that at least $1.55 billion was allocated to the Port Harcourt refinery, $740 million to Kaduna, and $656 million to Warri—yet none of the plants have returned to optimal function, forcing Nigeria to remain dependent on imported fuel.

“The scale of fraud is staggering,” an EFCC source told our correspondent. “Over-invoicing, inflated contracts, and questionable payments are at the heart of why these refineries have failed. Several former management officials have been arrested and interrogated.”

The agency has reportedly concluded probes into some officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) linked to the fraudulent rehabilitation contracts and is preparing to file charges. Both serving and retired managers may face prosecution.

In addition to the billions already recovered, the EFCC is also investigating fresh allegations of contract inflation worth about $40 million, involving procurement of equipment for the refineries.

When contacted, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale was unreachable, but a senior official confirmed the recoveries and hinted that prosecutions were imminent.

For years, Nigeria’s refineries have been a drain on public finances, with successive administrations pouring billions into turnaround maintenance projects that have yielded little or no results. The EFCC’s probe marks one of the most aggressive efforts yet to unravel the financial rot behind the nation’s fuel crisis.