The scuring of some oil blocks in Nigeria by ExxonMobil is now subject of probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), according to documents obtained by The Guardian of the United Kingdom.
ExxonMobil, the world’s largest oil firm, secured the lucrative oil rightsm in question in 2009, edging out China’s fourth-largest oil producer for access, despite underbidding its rival by $2.25bn.
Sunrise Power & Transmission, then a consortium of Nigerian and Chinese interests that included the Chinese National Offshore Oil Corporation, bid $3.75bn for the same rights, according to a letter from Sunrise to the President.
The deal was reported to the authorities by the Chairman of the Civil Society Network Against Corruption, Lanre Suraju.
The Guardian said the documents were given to it by the international watchdog group, Global Witness, which confirmed the investigation of the matter by EFCC.
According to Suraju, as of last week, “the EFCC has progressed impressively on the matter”.
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