Niger Delta Forum Condemns Arewa Youths’ Attack on NNPCL Official

By Chinedu Echianu

The Niger Delta Professionals Forum (NDPF) has come out swinging against a recent statement by a group calling itself “Arewa Youths,” accusing them of peddling falsehoods against the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Adedapo Segun.

The Arewa Youths had called for Segun’s sack and prosecution over alleged mismanagement in refinery rehabilitation and the OVH Energy acquisition. But the NDPF, in a strongly worded statement on Tuesday in Abuja, the Forum’s spokesman, Omeiza Ogumah dismissed the claims as “grossly misleading” and “entirely without merit.”

“Mr. Segun has not been indicted by any investigative body — including the EFCC — in relation to refinery rehabilitation or the OVH Energy deal,” the Forum stressed. “His name is not on the EFCC’s list of individuals under investigation because there is no credible evidence linking him to any wrongdoing.”

The Forum accused the Arewa Youths of running a smear campaign to tarnish the reputation of a “distinguished professional” who has always operated within due process, corporate governance, and transparency guidelines.

On the OVH Energy acquisition, the NDPF noted it was a strategic business decision approved by the relevant oversight bodies, adding that the ongoing legislative review was a normal accountability process, not a sign of wrongdoing.

The group warned that politically motivated attacks on public servants threaten not only individual reputations but also the stability of key national institutions like the NNPCL.

It urged Nigerians to resist the “weaponization of unverified claims” and cautioned against “trial by press statement,” which it said undermines the rule of law.

“The oil and gas sector should not be reduced to a political battleground,” the NDPF stated. “Mr. Segun is a seasoned and highly competent professional with a proven track record. He should be allowed to focus fully on his responsibilities in the national interest.”