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The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has ordered the arrest of Mele Kyari, former Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), for failing to appear before the committee investigating allegations of an unaccounted ₦210 trillion between 2017 and 2023.
The directive was issued after Kyari was absent from the committee’s hearing into the alleged financial discrepancies involving the national oil company.
During the proceedings, some lawmakers appealed to the committee chairman, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, to grant the former NNPCL chief another opportunity to appear, citing reports that he was currently receiving medical treatment in Germany.
However, several committee members opposed the request, insisting that a warrant of arrest should be issued immediately.
Leading the opposition, Senator Abdul Ningi argued that verbal claims regarding Kyari’s medical condition were insufficient and should be supported by official documentation. Senator Victor Umeh subsequently moved a motion to issue a warrant of arrest against the former NNPCL boss.
Seconding the motion, the committee’s Deputy Chairman, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi, said allowing Kyari another opportunity to appear voluntarily would only delay the committee’s work.
Following a voice vote, members overwhelmingly adopted the motion.
Announcing the committee’s decision, Dankwambo directed security authorities to arrest Kyari wherever he may be and produce him before the panel.
Meanwhile, former NNPCL Chief Financial Officer Umar Ajiya Isa rejected claims that ₦210 trillion was unaccounted for, arguing that the figure exceeded the company’s total revenue for the period under review.
According to him, NNPCL generated approximately ₦54.5 trillion in revenue between 2017 and 2023, making it impossible for ₦210 trillion to be missing.
“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 neither prepared, published, nor 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.
Ajiya also dismissed allegations that ₦5.8 billion was spent on the registration of NNPC Limited, describing the claim as false and potentially damaging. He warned that unsubstantiated allegations could harm the reputations of individuals, the company and Nigeria as a whole, while also affecting the country’s standing with international rating agencies.
As part of the ongoing investigation, the committee directed Ajiya and former Chief Upstream Investment Officer, Bala Wunti, to reappear before it in two weeks for further questioning.
