The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Olanipekun Olukoyede, has led a major breakthrough in the Commission’s ongoing investigation into the alleged criminal aspects of transactions involving Nestoil Limited and a consortium of its lenders.

The breakthrough followed a meeting convened and chaired by the EFCC Chairman, where a structured repayment plan was agreed between Nestoil Limited and the consortium of lenders as part of efforts to recover the outstanding indebtedness.

The agreement has already yielded significant results, with $60 million recovered from Nestoil Limited and paid to the consortium during the course of the investigation.

The payment by Nestoil, facilitated by a team of operatives from the EFCC Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, led by the Head of Investigation, Mr Oguzi Moses, represents a significant milestone in the Commission’s commitment to promoting accountability, protecting the interests of financial institutions and safeguarding depositors’ funds.

While welcoming the payment as an encouraging development, the consortium of lenders noted that it represents only the first phase of the repayment process, stressing that a substantial portion of the outstanding debt remains to be settled.

The lenders reaffirmed their commitment to working closely with the EFCC and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the seamless continuation of the recovery process until the outstanding indebtedness is fully liquidated.

The lenders also reiterated their commitment to supporting the EFCC by providing all relevant documents required for the diligent prosecution of the investigation, while ensuring that all parties comply with the law and that the recovery process remains lawful, transparent and commercially responsible.

The EFCC, meanwhile, reaffirmed its resolve to pursue the investigation to its logical conclusion and ensure the full recovery of depositors’ funds in accordance with the law.