LillyGold Energy Resources Limited, an Oil Marketing Company (OMC) owned by the Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Mohammed Adam Baantima Samba, has been closed down by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).

The NPA took this action due to the company's illegal operations, even after their license was revoked in October 2022.

Earlier this year, the NPA issued a statement announcing the revocation of licenses for around 30 OMCs nationwide, including LillyGold Energy Resources Limited.

According to Mr. Rasheed Dauda, the NPA's Northern Regional Manager, the company was legally required to cease its operations, and both its branding and logo were not supposed to be in use anymore.

“For some time now, this retail outlet in Kanvili and another one around the industrial area at Lamashegu have been operating under the name LillyGold. We’re here to come and shutdown the station and caution the public not to do business with LillyGold,” he noted.

“If you’re operating something that is illegal, it is illegal and so action should be brought to make sure that this illegality is remedy,” he added.

The Manager emphasized that this action is not influenced by the identity of the NPP Chairman; anyone discovered to be operating an unlawful site will face similar consequences.

In the meantime, the Manager of the Lamashegu branch stated during an interaction with the taskforce that their facility was operating under the license of an OMC named Famous.

However, the Northern Regional Manager responded, labeling this claim as illegal and challenging them to present supporting documentation, which they were unable to provide.

The Regional Manager advised the public to refrain from purchasing petroleum products from such Oil Marketing Companies, highlighting that no corrective measures are in place.

Furthermore, he noted that the authority would be unable to intervene in case of any issues arising from such transactions.

“By law since the National Petroleum Authority is in charge of the downstream industry, we’re to ensure that such illegal outlets do not operate,” he stressed.