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 repeatedly failing to appear before it to explain allegations of N210 trillion in unaccounted funds between 2017 and 2023.
The directive was issued on Wednesday during an investigative hearing into queries raised by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation regarding the company’s financial records for the period under review.
Kyari’s absence prompted the committee to rule against further delays, leading to the issuance of a warrant for his arrest and production before the panel.
During the sitting, some senators, including Saliu Mustapha (Kwara Central) and Tony Nwoye (Anambra North), appealed for caution, noting that Kyari was reportedly ill and receiving treatment in Germany. They urged the committee to grant him another opportunity to appear.
However, other members strongly opposed the plea. Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) insisted that verbal excuses were unacceptable without documented proof, while Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) formally moved the motion for Kyari’s arrest.
The motion was seconded by Deputy Chairman Senator Peter Nwaebonyi (Ebonyi North).
Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) also backed the decision, warning that the Senate risked diminishing its authority if it failed to enforce compliance with its summons.
“Some people believe they are bigger than Nigeria. The law must be effective when it catches the lion, not only when it catches the rabbit,” he said.
Chairman of the committee, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe North), subsequently ruled that Kyari should be arrested wherever he is and brought before the committee.
At the centre of the probe are alleged financial discrepancies totalling N210 trillion flagged in NNPCL’s accounts. However, the former Chief Financial Officer of the NNPCL, Umar Isa, who appeared before the committee, challenged the figure, describing it as misleading.
Isa insisted that no funds were missing and noted that NNPCL’s total revenue for the period was about ₦54.5 trillion before production costs.
He argued that publishing audited accounts would have been impossible if such a massive sum had disappeared.
The committee directed Isa and former Chief Upstream Investment Officer Bala Wunti to reappear before it within two weeks as the investigation continues.
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