Former Chief Finance Officer (CFO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Umar Isa, has refuted reports claiming he was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged $7.2 billion fraud involving transactions at the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries.
In a statement on Wednesday, Isa clarified that he was not arrested but willingly cooperated with the EFCC for questioning.
“Nobody arrested me for any $7.2 billion fraud related to refinery transactions. I voluntarily submitted myself to the EFCC for questioning and was allowed to go home afterward. It is unfortunate to see media reports falsely claiming my arrest,” he said.
The former CFO emphasized that his tenure at NNPCL was unblemished, with no prior allegations of misconduct.
“I served at NNPC Limited and left with my integrity intact. Throughout my time there, no one accused me of fraud. Those spreading false narratives about my arrest aim to damage my reputation,” Isa stated.
He also affirmed his readiness to cooperate with the EFCC if summoned again, stressing his commitment to upholding his legacy.
“I am available in Nigeria and will honor any future invitations from the EFCC without hesitation,” he added.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
