* Numerous investments uncovered
By Dauda Ismail
Despite the fact that full-time civil servants are prohibited from engaging in private businesses, even as a director of a company, as this could be seen as a conflict of interest or a distraction from their public duties,the former Chief Financial Officer, CFO, of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC Ltd, Umar Ajiya, had serveral registered companies in his name and openly ran his businesses, doing so with impunity and flaunting his billions with careless abandon.
“I really cannot understand how bold and carefree some Nigerians can be. Or are the Nigerian laws selective, applying only to some while others are above it?
“I worked under ogar Umar Ajiya even before he became the CFO at the NNPC Ltd and I can tell you for sure that he didn’t hide the fact that he had serveral registered companies and ran serveral business,” one staff of the NNPC Ltd told this medium.
Following an extensive and indept investigation into the corruption allegations of Aliya, AljazirahNigeriaNewspapers, in its practice of fair and balanced journalism, after it’s extensive and very revealing investigation, wrote a letter to him dated April 25, 2025, and received by his domestic staff at the gate of his residence, Flat 139, Ambrose Feese Street, Guzape, Abuja , titled: “REQUEST FOR CLARIFICATION ON ALLEGED FLAGRANT ABUSE OF CODE OF CONDUCT RULE AND ILLEGAL ACCUMULATION OF WEALTH,” but despite efforts to reach him personally via his phone and at his residence, he has refused to respond to the letter of request as at the time of filing this report.
The letter of request states in part: “In a petition made available to us, it reveals that while still in service you were director of various registered companies, with your wife and children been persons with significant control in the business.
“It was alleged that, you owned a multi-billion-naira cashew factory in Abuja, which is also regarded as the largest cashew factory in Nigeria. The cashew factory is being managed by your son named Said Umar as the managing director, it is alleged that he combines the management of the cashew factory with public office as a staff in defunct PPPRA now known as Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA. The cashew factory is housed under HSF Foods Ltd. Other companies allegedly traced to you and your family members are HSF Transport Ltd, HSF Properties and Luhhaf Oil Nig. Ltd which you serve as a director and person of significant control.
“Your wife, Ajiya Bilkisu Umar, apart from being directors in the aforementioned companies was allegedly also linked to an oil & gas company with name, Lubhaf oil Nig. Ltd with evidence of work done with NNPCL and also ownership of a petroleum station. A supply which you easily influence based on your positions in NNPCL. All these were allegedly gotten using your office as a front to cumulative illegal wealth. It was also alleged that you acquire choice properties in Abuja and other states through proxies and also operates a Bureau de Change office.”
An enquiry made by AljazirahNigeria Newspapers to the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, through official search revealed that his companies include HSF Foods Limited, RC: 1633216; HSF Transport Ltd, Rc 640825; LUBHAF Oil Nig Ltd, RC 1166753; and HSF Properties, RC 767297.
With the HSF Foods Ltd, with registered address at Plot 719 DIikkina Close, Durumi, Abuja,
AMAC, FCT, the chairman of the company is registered as Umar Ajiya, with his service address as Flat 139, Ambrose Feese Street, Guzape, Abuja , the same resident of Ajiya where he still lives.
For HSF Properties Ltd, the directors surname is entered NILL, while first name is given as ALIYU UMAR, while other names is entered NILL too, with his service address entered as the same Flat 139, Ambrose Feese Street, Guzape, Abuja.
With LUBHAF Oil Nig Ltd with total share capital of one million, while he is neither chairman nor director, his family and cronies are clearly registered as directors without a registered chairman as, Bilkisu Umar, with residential address, gender, date of birth, date of appointment as NILL: Usman Umar, with residential address, gender, date of birth, date of appointment as NILL; Farida Umar, Lauretu Umar, Hafsat Umar, Ayisa Umar, and Alhaji Umar Shehu, all of the same residential address, NO 4/5 NASARAWA ROAD,RIGACHUKWU
KADUNA KADUNA KADUNA, KADUNA , and all with with, gender, date of birth, date of appointment as NIL, except for Abba Ibrahim, whose residential address is different as , NO 33 MUSAN GWARZO ROAD,T/WADA ZARIA
KADUNA KADUNA, KADUNA, but with gender, date of birth, date of appointment as NIL, also NILL.
Also, an Aljazirah reporter visited the the factory address under the pretext of being a marketer and met with a staff inside the factory. The undercover reporter who jokingly engaged the staff confirmed the ownership of the factory to be the former CFO of NNPC Ltd, Umar Ajiya, and noted that the vast land which the factory is sitting on, plus the construction and equipment are worth billions.
Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had launched an investigation into former top executives of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC Ltd, and recently dismissed managing directors of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries over an alleged misappropriation of approximately $2.96 billion earmarked for the rehabilitation of the nation’s ailing refineries. But many Nigerians in the know of events say that EFCC has more work to do to unearth the monumental corruption in serveral offices and departments within the NNPC Ltd.
A senior official of the anti-graft agency, who spoke to Vanguard under the condition of anonymity, confirmed that the investigation is targeting several high-ranking individuals linked to the controversial disbursement of maintenance funds.
Aljazirah could not ascertain whether all these investments are captured in his declaration of assets form filed by him, as several calls to the Chairman.of the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, were unsuccessful as at press time.
