Senate Summons Four Oil Firms Over NEITI Audit Queries

By Jane Salihu

The Senate has summoned four oil companies over unresolved audit queries contained in the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative reports for 2021, 2022 and 2023.

The companies – Seplat Energy, Network E&P Nigeria Limited, All Grace Energy Limited and Aradel Energy Limited – are to appear before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts within 48 hours or face legislative sanctions.

The directive was issued by the committee chaired by Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo following the failure of the companies to honour earlier invitations.

The committee said its action underscored the need for operators in the extractive sector to account for revenues, royalties and other statutory obligations.

Trouble started when Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) faulted the position reportedly taken by Network E&P Nigeria Limited that it was accountable only to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and not the Senate committee.

Ningi argued that the National Assembly is empowered by Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to invite any person or organisation to provide information necessary for the discharge of its oversight functions.

His position was supported by Senator Shehu Kaka Lawan (Borno Central), who called for the invocation of the Senate’s constitutional powers after Network E&P failed to honour two previous invitations.

The committee thereafter directed the Managing Director of Network E&P to appear before it on Thursday, warning that failure to comply would compel it to invoke its full legislative powers.

Similar directives were issued to the management of Seplat Energy, All Grace Energy and Aradel Energy over their absence at the hearing.

Meanwhile, Dubri Oil Company Limited, which appeared before the committee, disputed a $3.025m liability attributed to it in the NEITI report.

According to NEITI, data submitted by the NUPRC in 2025 showed that Dubri Oil had outstanding liabilities of about $3.025m, comprising $2.378m in gas flare-related obligations and $646,605.55 in crude oil royalty.

But its representative, Mr Soyode Olusoji Clement, told the committee that the liability arose from a reconciliation dispute with the NUPRC, which had since been resolved.

Clement said the company no longer had any outstanding debt with the regulator and submitted documents to support his claim.

The committee said it would review the documents before deciding whether to clear the company.

The Senate panel said it would determine whether the queries against the affected firms constitute actual liabilities, reconciliation differences or other compliance issues requiring further legislative action.