Yemi Obafemi
The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has directed security agencies to arrest former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, after he failed to appear before the panel investigating alleged financial irregularities involving ₦210 trillion between 2017 and 2023.
The committee issued the directive during an investigative hearing on the audit queries raised against the state-owned oil company. Kyari’s absence sparked a debate among lawmakers, with some members urging the committee to grant him another opportunity to appear, citing reports that he was undergoing medical treatment in Germany.
However, several senators opposed the request, insisting that no official documentation had been presented to justify his absence. Senator Abdul Ningi maintained that claims regarding Kyari’s medical condition should be supported with evidence, while Senator Victor Umeh moved a motion calling for the issuance of a warrant for his arrest.
Backing the motion, Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi, said the panel had exhausted efforts to secure Kyari’s appearance, noting that the committee had met nine times to address 19 audit queries concerning the NNPCL.
“This is the ninth time this committee is meeting on the 19 queries raised against NNPCL by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation. I personally chaired three of these sessions.
“Mr Chairman, the time to issue a warrant of arrest against Mele Kyari is now because the committee must conclude its assignment and report back to the Senate,” he said.
The motion was subsequently adopted through a voice vote, after which Committee Chairman Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo ordered that Kyari be apprehended and brought before the panel.
Meanwhile, former NNPCL Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajiya Isa, dismissed allegations that ₦210 trillion was missing from the company’s accounts, describing the claim as impossible given the firm’s earnings during the period under review.
According to him, NNPCL generated approximately ₦54.5 trillion in revenue between 2017 and 2023, far below the amount allegedly unaccounted for.
“To be clear, if money had gone missing at NNPC during our tenure, we would not have had the confidence to publish audited accounts. For more than 40 years, those accounts were either not prepared, not published, or not submitted to the Auditor-General.
“₦210 trillion is an enormous amount. NNPC’s total revenue during the period under review was about ₦54.5 trillion, even before deducting production costs. It is therefore impossible for ₦210 trillion to be missing or unaccounted for,” he said.
Isa also refuted allegations that ₦5.8 billion was spent on the registration of NNPC Limited, describing the claim as inaccurate and harmful to the company’s reputation and Nigeria’s image.
He challenged those behind the allegations to present evidence and warned that unverified claims could negatively affect investor confidence and the country’s international credit ratings.
The committee directed Isa and former Chief Upstream Investment Officer, Bala Wunti, to return for further questioning in two weeks as the investigation continues.
