The House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) has urged the
Department of State Services (DSS), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to investigate and arrest foreign oil trading agents and any World Bank officials accused of sabotaging Nigeria’s refineries.
Arising from a three-day retreat in Owerri on Wednesday, the committee which is chaired by Representative Ikenga Ugochinyere, also called for the sack and arrest of the official behind the April 7th, 2026 “Nigeria Development Update.”
The April 7, 2026 “Nigeria Development Update” is the World Bank’s biannual report on Nigeria’s economy and policy outlook. It was published April 7, then pulled from the World Bank website 3 days later on April 10 after reactions
The Committee also rejected the World Bank recommendation for the reintroduction of petroleum import licences, saying it was contrary to Nigeria’s national economic interest and an unacceptable interference in the sovereign petroleum policy of the country.
It described the World Bank report as “a reckless plot to kill indigenous refineries.”
The World Bank’s report had claimed imports are twelve percent cheaper than Dangote Refinery’s products.
Declaring the World Bank official, a persona non grata, the Committee gave the bank 30 days to issue a public retraction and written apology.
It advised the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to register Nigeria’s formal diplomatic protest.
Chairman of the Committee Hon. (Barr.) Ikenga Ugochinyere Ikeagwuonu had earlier declared the retreat open with a formal commendation to Alhaji Aliko Dangote, whose refinery he described as “a national economic treasure that holds the key to Nigeria’s future energy security
He expressed worry over the persistent failure to ensure consistent crude oil feedstock supply to indigenous refineries – a failure the Committee described not as a market problem but as a governance failure which it intends to legislate upon.
The Committee also commended the Joint Committee of the National Assembly for its dispassionate and principled decisions in support of the pipeline surveillance contract, noting that the alignment of both chambers on this security matter sends a powerful message to all stakeholders.
