The Senate has declared the current payments by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation for subsidy of premium motor spirit (petrol ) illegal .
It asked the corporation to refund the sum of N 216 bn spent for the purpose in 2017 under the guise of “ operational costs” into the Federal Government ’ s coffers .
The legislature also asked the corporation to stop further payment of the subsidy , while asking it to pay the arrears owed fuel marketers .
The legislature also resolved to legalise the payment by including it in the 2018 budget .
They also called for sanctioning of the officials involved in the illegal payments .
The Committee on Public Accounts made the recommendations in its report on the investigation into the illegal subsidy payments , which was adopted by the Senate at the plenary on Thursday.