The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has ordered the arrest of the immediate past Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari.
The decision followed Kyari’s absence at the committee’s investigative hearing into the alleged financial discrepancies over alleged unaccounted funds totalling N210 trillion between 2017 and 2023.
During the session, some lawmakers appealed to the committee chairman, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe North), to grant Kyari another opportunity to appear, citing reports that he was receiving medical treatment in Germany.
The appeal, however, faced stiff opposition from other committee members, who insisted that a warrant of arrest be issued against the former NNPCL chief.
Senator Abdul Ningi argued that verbal excuses should not be accepted without documented proof of illness. Senator Victor Umeh formally moved the motion for Kyari’s arrest, which was seconded by the committee’s deputy chairman, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi, who said this was the ninth meeting on the 19 queries against NNPCL and that further delay would undermine the committee’s work.
Former Edo State Governor and Senator Adams Oshiomhole declared that the Senate risked losing its authority if it failed to enforce compliance, stating, “Some people believe they are bigger than Nigeria.”
After a voice vote, the committee chairman, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, ruled that Kyari should be arrested and brought before the panel regardless of his whereabouts.
In his testimony, former NNPCL Chief Financial Officer Umar Isa challenged the allegations, insisting that no funds were missing. He argued that the N210 trillion figure was misleading, noting that the company’s total revenue during the period under review was approximately N54.5 trillion. He also dismissed claims that N5.8 billion was spent on registering NNPCL Limited, calling the allegation inaccurate and damaging to Nigeria’s reputation with international rating agencies and potential investors.
Isa further warned that unfounded claims had previously disrupted financing for the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline project. He urged the committee to allow agencies such as the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit and the EFCC to investigate and establish the facts.
The committee has directed Isa and former Chief Upstream Investment Officer Bala Wunti to reappear within two weeks as the investigation continues.
