Bashir Ojulari, head of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), is again under public criticism after arranging private jets for a Brazil trip, only weeks after the company came under fire for hosting a costly retreat in Kigali, Rwanda.

Insiders revealed that multiple private aircraft were chartered for the Brazil visit, similar to the Rwanda retreat in June where board members and executives traveled in at least five private jets. During that trip, the team reportedly booked the entire Kigali Marriott Hotel, where nightly rates run from about $170 to nearly $3,800.

Four of the jets used in Rwanda were allegedly provided by Abdullahi Bashir-Haske, a businessman tied to Nigeria’s oil deals and politics, and a son-in-law of ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Though wanted for alleged money laundering, Bashir-Haske denied involvement through a go-between, refusing to speak directly to reporters.

The development comes as the Senate intensifies investigations into over ₦210 trillion in financial discrepancies in NNPCL’s audited accounts from 2017 to 2023. Lawmakers flagged unexplained accrued expenses, questionable legal and audit fees, and conflicting financial reports. Committee chair Senator Aliyu Wadada called the findings “unacceptable” and warned they could hurt Nigeria’s global financial image, especially ahead of NNPCL’s planned stock market listing.

The timing of Ojulari’s Brazil trip is also raising eyebrows, coinciding with President Bola Tinubu’s official visit to the country for talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and a business forum.

Observers argue that the repeated use of private jets and lavish spending, alongside unresolved questions about trillions of naira in NNPCL’s books, fuel concerns that the company remains mired in excesses and weak accountability despite its central role in Nigeria’s economy.