Godswill Akpabio faces a 7day ultimatum to unmask those behind the staggering 200 trillion naira discrepancy at Nigeria’s state oil company

The hunt for accountability in Nigeria has reached a fever pitch as the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) issued a high-stakes demand to Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The advocacy group is insisting on total transparency regarding a monumental investigation into the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), where an eye-watering ₦200 trillion is reportedly missing or unaccounted for.

In a formal letter signed by Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization gave the Senate leadership exactly one week to reveal the identities of every official implicated in the ongoing probe. The discrepancy, which spans the years between 2017 and 2023, represents a sum so vast it has sent shockwaves through the nation’s financial and political circles.

The Senate’s Public Accounts Committee is currently tasked with untangling the web of unreconciled figures and missing documentation that defines the NNPCL’s recent history. However, SERAP argues that the process has been marred by frustrating delays and a lack of cooperation from key figures. The group is now demanding that the Senate move beyond closed-door discussions by publishing all audit reports, financial records, and transcripts related to the investigation.

According to SERAP, the sheer scale of the potential loss (estimated between ₦200 trillion and ₦210 trillion) makes public scrutiny a necessity rather than an option. The organization warned that the credibility of the entire Nigerian government is at stake, noting that any further hesitation could lead to the distortion of evidence or the perception of a high-level cover-up.

Beyond just naming names, the demand includes a call for a clear timeline for the investigation and a public explanation of how such a massive sum could vanish from the books of the country’s primary revenue generator. SERAP has made its position clear: if Senate President Akpabio does not facilitate this disclosure within seven days, the group will take the matter to court to compel the government to act in the interest of the Nigerian people.