The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has ordered the arrest of former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, for failing to appear before it in an ongoing investigation into alleged financial discrepancies amounting to ₦210 trillion.
The directive was issued after Kyari failed to attend the committee’s hearing, despite being invited to respond to queries relating to the company’s financial records between 2017 and 2023.
During the session, some lawmakers urged the committee to grant the former NNPCL chief another opportunity to appear, citing reports that he was undergoing medical treatment in Germany.
However, several committee members opposed the request, insisting that any claim regarding Kyari’s health should be backed by official documentation rather than verbal explanations.
Leading the opposition, Senator Abdul Ningi argued that the committee could not rely on unverified reports to excuse Kyari’s absence. Senator Victor Umeh subsequently moved a motion calling for the issuance of a warrant of arrest against the former NNPCL chief.
The motion was seconded by the committee’s Deputy Chairman, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi, who noted that repeated invitations had failed to secure Kyari’s appearance before the panel.
“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. 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,” Nwaebonyi said.
Following a voice vote, the committee overwhelmingly adopted the motion.
Chairman of the committee, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, thereafter directed that Kyari be arrested and brought before the panel to answer questions relating to the investigation.
Meanwhile, former NNPCL Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajiya Isa, appeared before the committee and strongly rejected claims that ₦210 trillion was unaccounted for during the period under review.
According to Isa, the figure far exceeds the total revenue generated by NNPCL between 2017 and 2023, which he said stood at approximately ₦54.5 trillion.
“To be clear, if money had gone missing at NNPC during our tenure, we would not have had the confidence to publish audited accounts. ₦210 trillion is an enormous amount. NNPC’s total revenue during the period under review was about ₦54.5 trillion. It is therefore impossible for ₦210 trillion to be missing or unaccounted for,” he said.
Isa also dismissed allegations that ₦5.8 billion was spent on the registration of NNPC Limited, describing the claim as inaccurate and potentially damaging to both the company and Nigeria’s reputation.
He warned that unverified allegations could negatively affect investor confidence and international assessments of Nigeria’s economic standing.
As the investigation continues, the committee directed Isa and former Chief Upstream Investment Officer, Bala Wunti, to return for further questioning in two weeks.
The probe remains ongoing as lawmakers seek clarification on the financial queries raised by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.
