Senate Committee Orders Arrest of Ex-NNPCL Boss Mele Kyari Over Probe of Alleged N210 Trillion Discrepancies
Senate Committee Orders Arrest of Ex-NNPCL Boss Mele Kyari Over Probe of Alleged N210 Trillion Discrepancies
Senate Committee Orders Arrest of Ex-NNPCL Boss Mele Kyari Over Probe of Alleged N210 Trillion Discrepancies
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, over his failure to appear before the panel investigating allegations involving N210 trillion in unaccounted funds between 2017 and 2023.
The directive was issued on Wednesday after Kyari failed to honour the committee’s summons for an investigative hearing into queries raised by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation regarding the company’s financial records during the period under review.
The committee’s decision followed a heated debate among lawmakers over whether to grant the former NNPCL chief another opportunity to appear. Senators Saliu Mustapha (Kwara Central) and Tony Nwoye (Anambra North) appealed for caution, citing reports that Kyari was ill and receiving medical treatment in Germany.
However, several committee members opposed any further delay. Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) argued that claims of illness should be backed by documentary evidence, while Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) moved a motion for Kyari’s arrest.
Seconding the motion, Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi (Ebonyi North), said the panel had already held nine meetings on the matter and could not continue postponing its work.
“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. 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.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) also backed the move, warning that failure to enforce compliance with Senate summonses could weaken the authority of the National Assembly.
“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,” Oshiomhole stated.
Following a voice vote, Committee Chairman Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe North) directed security agencies to ensure Kyari is brought before the panel.
“Anywhere Mele Kyari is, he should be arrested and brought before this committee,” Dankwambo declared.
Meanwhile, former NNPCL Chief Financial Officer, Umar Isa, who appeared before the committee, disputed allegations that N210 trillion was missing from the company’s accounts.
Isa described the figure as misleading and inconsistent with the company’s financial records, noting that NNPCL’s total revenue during the period under review was approximately N54.5 trillion before production costs.
“To be clear, if money had gone missing at NNPC during our tenure, we would not have had the courage to publish audited accounts. N210 trillion is an enormous sum. NNPC’s total revenue in the period under review was about N54.5 trillion. It is impossible for N210 trillion to be missing or unaccounted for,” he said.
He also denied allegations that N5.8 billion was spent on the registration of NNPC Limited, urging the committee to verify the claims with relevant agencies.
According to Isa, inaccurate allegations could damage Nigeria’s reputation and negatively affect investor confidence and international credit assessments.
The committee subsequently directed Isa and former Chief Upstream Investment Officer, Bala Wunti, to return within two weeks as investigations into the Auditor-General’s queries continue.
Senate Committee Orders Arrest of Ex-NNPCL Boss Mele Kyari Over Probe of Alleged N210 Trillion Discrepancies
