Petroleum Minister denies bribery allegation

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Kachikwu, has denied allegations of receiving bribes in exchange for juicy oil contracts. An online news medium had alleged that the Petroleum Minister and his brother, Dumebi Kachikwu, had collected about N2 billion bribe for an oil contract but failed to deliver their own end of the bargain.


The online report alleged that the bribe was giving by one Mr. Igho Sanomi, Chairman of Taleveras Oil to the Kachikwus for the said oil contracts. According to the report, the bribe payments were channelled to the Minister, who doubles as the Chairman of board of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) through Dumebi, his younger brother. However, Kachikwu in a statement sent by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Uche Adighibe, described the allegations as untrue.

The Minister, who did not mention any involvement or otherwise of his brother in any transaction, said he had always stood for transparency and due process and could not have been involved in any act of bribery. the statement said: “We would like to categorically state that the story is inaccurate and totally without foundation.

Anyone familiar with the records of Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu’s record of high performance and integrity both in his professional career and his current position can confirm that he cannot be a party to this scurrilous allegations made in those reports.