Nigeria's
state-owned oil firm failed to transfer $16bn (£11bn) to the treasury
in 2014, the government says.
An audit of
the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) showed the amount
was withheld without any explanation.
This could be the
biggest fraud discovery yet. The NNPC is yet to react to the
allegation.
A similar
allegation made two years ago by then-central bank governor Sanusi Lamido
Sanusi led to him being sacked by the former government.
He had accused the
oil company of failing to remit $20bn, higher than the present amount.
Nigeria’s oil
exports are worth about $77bn annually, according to oil producers'
group Opec.
But there are
allegations some of the funds are diverted to private pockets. Development in
Africa’s biggest oil producer and largest economy has been stunted by decades
of corruption and mismanagement.
Nigeria
is Africa's biggest oil producer
The government’s
anti-corruption fight now seems to be shifting to the oil sector.
It started with
investigations into the alleged diversion of $2.1bn meant for weapons to fight
the Islamist insurgency in northeast Nigeria.
High profile
politicians and some top military officers linked to the alleged arms fraud
have been arrested and are being prosecuted.
President Muhammadu
Buhari took power after winning elections last year, vowing to fight
corruption.
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