TRACKNEWS ONLINE | INVESTIGATIVE DESK
The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), under the leadership of its Director-General, Engr. Chukwuemeka Woke, is facing questions over more than ₦1.03 billion in payments reportedly linked to a single oil spill response hangar project, including ₦805.78 million disbursed to three companies on the same day.
An investigation by TrackNews Online, based on payment details attributed to the agency’s records, identified six contractors who reportedly received payments connected to the construction of oil spill aerial combat aircraft hangars and oil spill response equipment storage facilities.
The transactions raise questions about procurement procedures, contract administration, payment approvals and the management of public funds.
According to the records reviewed for the investigation, three companies received a combined ₦805,779,022 on April 15, 2025, in payments described as 30 per cent mobilisation fees for the project.
Wedgewood Integrated Investment Limited received ₦290,473,269.28, Willaf Nigeria Limited collected ₦255,603,916.84, while Ezensha Nigeria Limited received ₦259,701,835.88.
The three payments were processed through separate vouchers on the same day.
The figures raise questions about the contractual arrangements behind the payments, including whether the companies were engaged for separate project components, different locations or distinct phases of the work.
Woke was appointed Director-General of NOSDRA by President Bola Tinubu in May 2024 and assumed office in June of that year.
₦229.74m Paid as Final Payments Before Fresh Mobilisation
One of the central issues identified in the payment records concerns three transactions made on December 23, 2024, which were described as final payments for the hangar project.
Patmag Engineering Nigeria Limited reportedly received ₦77,674,305.73, Adei and Sons Nigeria Limited collected ₦77,559,981.41, while Ti-Ad Investment and Services Limited received ₦74,511,627.91.
The three transactions amounted to ₦229,745,915.05.
The payment descriptions reportedly covered the construction of oil spill aerial combat aircraft hangars and facilities for storing chemicals, dispersants and other response equipment at airports in Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Lagos and Calabar.
However, approximately four months later, three different companies reportedly received mobilisation payments associated with the same broadly described project.
The six payments total ₦1,035,524,937.05.
This sequence raises a critical question: why were final payments reportedly made to three contractors in December 2024, followed by fresh mobilisation payments to three other companies in April 2025 for the same project?
The available payment descriptions do not establish whether the transactions concerned separate lots, additional facilities, distinct phases or variations to existing contracts.
NOSDRA’s contract documents, procurement records and explanation of the relationship between the payments would be necessary to establish the full circumstances.
April Mobilisation Payments Point to Potentially Larger Contracts
The April transactions also raise questions about the total value of the underlying contracts.
If the stated mobilisation payments represented exactly 30 per cent of the respective contract values, the figures would imply contracts worth approximately ₦2.69 billion in total.
A breakdown of the estimated values is as follows:
Wedgewood Integrated Investment Limited: ₦290.47 million mobilisation payment, implying a contract value of approximately ₦968.24 million.
Willaf Nigeria Limited: ₦255.60 million mobilisation payment, implying a contract value of approximately ₦852.01 million.
Ezensha Nigeria Limited: ₦259.70 million mobilisation payment, implying a contract value of approximately ₦865.67 million.
These figures are mathematical estimates based on the reported 30 per cent mobilisation rate. They are not independently verified contract awards and should not be treated as confirmation of the actual contract values.
Nevertheless, the estimates raise questions about the procurement process, including how the contracts were structured, whether competitive bidding was conducted and whether the relevant approvals were obtained.
The Public Procurement Act 2007 establishes requirements governing public procurement and contains provisions addressing procurement splitting intended to circumvent statutory requirements.
Whether the transactions complied with the law cannot be established from the payment figures alone. That determination would require examination of the individual contracts, procurement plans, tender documents and applicable approvals.
₦382.7m Consultancy Payment Raises Questions Over Deliverables
Beyond the hangar transactions, the investigation identified a payment of ₦382.7 million to APT Solutions Technologies Limited on August 25, 2025.
The payment, recorded under voucher number 1001313860-4, was described as a 100 per cent final payment for geospatial and environmental forensics analysis of artisanal refineries in the Niger Delta region.
According to the records cited, the entire amount was disbursed in a single transaction.
The payment raises questions about the scope of the consultancy, the deliverables submitted, the verification process and the basis on which the full contract amount was certified for payment.
The relevant contract, technical reports, acceptance certificates and payment approvals would help establish whether the work was completed in accordance with the agreed terms.
Although a single final payment does not, by itself, establish wrongdoing, transparency requires that substantial public expenditure be supported by verifiable evidence of services rendered and proper authorisation.
₦15.36m Consultancy Payment: Questions Over Company’s Registration
Another transaction identified in the investigation involved Support Systems (Nigeria) Limited, which reportedly received ₦15,369,389.30 on February 24, 2025.
The payment was described as a 30 per cent mobilisation fee for consultancy services relating to the implementation of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation 2019.
The investigation reported that searches of the Corporate Affairs Commission’s public search portal did not locate a registration record under the company’s full name or the alternative names searched.
If the company’s registration status cannot be verified, questions arise about the due diligence undertaken before the contract was awarded and the payment approved.
However, failure to locate a record through a public search does not conclusively establish that the company is unregistered. Further verification with the Corporate Affairs Commission would be required before drawing that conclusion.
NOSDRA should clarify the company’s legal identity, registration details, contractual status and the documentation used to verify its eligibility to undertake the assignment.
₦52.35m Erosion Control Payment in Ekiti Raises Mandate Questions
The investigation also identified a payment of ₦52,356,972.04 to Patmag Engineering Nigeria Limited on February 24, 2025.
The transaction was described as a 30 per cent mobilisation payment for erosion control in selected communities in Ekiti State.
The payment raises questions about how the project relates to NOSDRA’s statutory responsibilities.
NOSDRA’s core functions concern oil spill detection, preparedness, monitoring and response. Erosion control may ordinarily fall within the responsibilities of other government agencies, depending on the nature and circumstances of the work.
Although Ekiti State is landlocked, that fact alone does not establish that an erosion control project is unlawful for NOSDRA to fund. The decisive questions are the project’s purpose, its connection to the agency’s mandate and the legal and budgetary authority under which the expenditure was approved.
The agency should therefore explain the rationale for the project, the communities involved, the scope of work and the basis for awarding the contract.
Six Payments Totalled ₦218.17m on February 24
February 24, 2025, also featured prominently in the payment records cited in the investigation.
Six payments processed that day reportedly totalled ₦218,178,033.93.
The beneficiaries and stated purposes were as follows:
1. Ribodek Integrated Services Limited — ₦61,119,927.12
The payment was described as covering the supply and procurement of office furniture and equipment.
2. Wedgewood Integrated Investment Limited — ₦43,665,901.32
The company reportedly received the sum for personal protective equipment, several weeks before its subsequent hangar mobilisation payment.
3. Dipcrest Integrated Services Limited — ₦30,826,961.43
The payment was described as a 60 per cent payment for biometric clocking and attendance systems.
4. Willaf Nigeria Limited — ₦14,838,882.72
The payment reportedly covered laboratory equipment, reagents and consumables.
5. Support Systems (Nigeria) Limited — ₦15,369,389.30
The sum was described as a mobilisation payment for consultancy relating to data protection regulations.
6. Patmag Engineering Nigeria Limited — ₦52,356,972.04
The payment was described as mobilisation for erosion control in selected Ekiti communities.
The six transactions raise questions about procurement planning, the delivery of goods and services, payment certification and the supporting documentation.
The reported 60 per cent payment for biometric clocking and attendance systems also warrants clarification regarding the contract terms, the delivery status and any applicable safeguards.
However, the payment descriptions alone do not establish whether the goods and services were delivered or whether any procurement rules were breached.
Millions Paid to Individuals for Project Accounting, Logistics and Travel
The investigation further identified payments to individuals for activities described as project accounting, stakeholder meetings, logistics and official travel.
On October 24, 2025, Ayemoba Prince Moses reportedly received ₦10 million for project accounting relating to the launch of ESI mapping.
On the same day, Chialika Okoruwa Samson reportedly received ₦8,570,556 for project accounting associated with a stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos.
He reportedly received another ₦6.28 million on December 29, 2025, described as a duty tour allowance for an official trip.
Deji-Fabikun Olubukola Titilope reportedly received ₦5,343,516.50 on June 23, 2025, for logistics for experts attending the TotalEnergies NOSCP drill exercise.
The same individual reportedly received ₦5.28 million on April 22, 2025, as a duty tour allowance to field offices.
These transactions raise questions about the recipients’ official responsibilities, the basis for the amounts paid, the supporting receipts and the procedures used to authorise the expenditure.
Payments to individuals are not automatically unlawful. Their propriety depends on the nature of the services, applicable rules, supporting documentation and proper authorisation.
The relevant expenditure records would be necessary to determine whether the payments were justified and correctly accounted for.
Earlier Payments to Ribodek and Willaf Pre-Date Woke’s Tenure
The investigation also identified earlier transactions involving Ribodek Integrated Services Limited and Willaf Nigeria Limited.
Ribodek reportedly received ₦39,320,509.22 for office furniture and equipment on December 8, 2023.
Willaf reportedly received ₦24,397,673.68 for laboratory equipment, reagents and consumables on the same date.
Both payments predated Woke’s tenure and were attributed to the period when Idris Musa led the agency.
They should therefore be distinguished from the transactions made during Woke’s administration.
However, the subsequent payments to both companies during 2025 raise questions about their later contracts, procurement history and performance.
Willaf, in particular, reportedly received ₦14.84 million for laboratory supplies in February 2025 and ₦255.60 million as hangar mobilisation in April 2025.
The records of those later transactions, together with the relevant procurement documents, would help establish how the contracts were awarded and whether the required procedures were followed.
Key Questions NOSDRA Needs to Answer
The payment details cited in the investigation raise several questions that warrant clear answers from the agency.
1. Why were three contractors reportedly paid final sums for the hangar project in December 2024 before three different companies received mobilisation payments for the same broadly described project in April 2025?
2. What were the individual contract values, scopes of work, project locations and procurement procedures for the six contractors?
3. Were the relevant contracts subjected to the required procurement processes, and what approvals supported the awards and payments?
4. What documentation supports the ₦382.7 million consultancy payment to APT Solutions Technologies Limited, and what deliverables were certified before the full amount was released?
5. What registration and due diligence documents were obtained before Support Systems (Nigeria) Limited received its mobilisation payment?
6. What was the statutory and budgetary basis for the erosion control contract in Ekiti State?
7. What supporting records justify the payments made to individuals for project accounting, logistics and travel-related activities?
These questions do not, on their own, establish fraud, corruption or personal wrongdoing by Woke or any of the named companies. They identify issues that require documentary clarification and, where warranted, independent scrutiny.
Public Funds Require Transparency
The reported transactions highlight the importance of transparency in public procurement, contract administration and expenditure by government agencies.
The apparent sequence of final payments followed by fresh mobilisation payments for a broadly described project warrants clarification. The substantial consultancy payment and the reported erosion control contract also raise questions about deliverables, procurement documentation and the connection between expenditure and the agency’s statutory mandate.
TrackNews Online maintains that public institutions should be able to explain substantial expenditures with verifiable contract documents, procurement approvals, payment certificates and evidence of work completed.
The agency’s response would be essential to establish whether the transactions were properly authorised, whether the contractors fulfilled their contractual obligations and whether public funds were used for their approved purposes.
TrackNews Online will publish any substantive response from NOSDRA and the companies named in this report.
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EDITORIAL NOTE: This report is based on payment details attributed to the agency’s records and allegations examined in the investigation.