The Senate Committee on Public Accounts on Wednesday 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 committee investigating allegations of N210 trillion in unaccounted funds.
The committee issued the directive after Kyari repeatedly failed to honour invitations to appear before lawmakers probing audit queries raised by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation concerning NNPCL’s financial records between 2017 and 2023.
The decision followed a heated debate among committee members during the investigative hearing.
While Senators Saliu Mustapha (Kwara Central) and Tony Nwoye (Anambra North) appealed to the committee to give Kyari another opportunity to appear, citing reports that he was receiving medical treatment in Germany, other lawmakers opposed the request.
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) argued that claims of illness should be supported with documentary evidence, while Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) moved a motion seeking Kyari’s arrest.
Seconding the motion, Deputy Chairman of the committee, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi (Ebonyi North), said the committee could no longer tolerate delays in the investigation.
“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, three of which were chaired by me.
“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.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) also backed the move, warning that the Senate’s authority could be undermined if its summons were ignored.
“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 said.
Following a voice vote, Chairman of the committee, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe North), directed that Kyari be arrested and brought before the panel.
“Anywhere Mele Kyari is, he should be arrested and brought before this committee,” Dankwambo declared.
The investigation centres on allegations that N210 trillion could not be accounted for in NNPCL’s financial records during the period under review.
However, former Chief Financial Officer of NNPCL, Umar Isa, dismissed the allegation, insisting that no funds were missing.
“To be clear, if money had gone missing at NNPC during our tenure, we would not have had the courage to publish audited accounts. For over 40 years, those accounts were either not prepared, not made public, or not even shared with the Auditor-General.
“₦210tn is an enormous sum. NNPC’s total revenue in the period under review was about ₦54.5 trillion, even before deducting production costs. It’s impossible for ₦210 trillion to be missing or unaccounted for,” he said.
Isa also denied claims that N5.8 billion was spent on the registration of NNPC Limited, describing the allegation as inaccurate and urging the committee to verify the figures with relevant agencies.
“Unfounded claims do real damage. They harm the reputations of individuals, the company, and Nigeria itself. International rating agencies use public information to assess countries. Negative, inaccurate reports can hurt Nigeria’s credit rating and our national interests.
“We’ve seen this before. While seeking about $2.5 billion in Chinese financing for the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline, an unpatriotic petition was submitted to Chinese authorities. Despite a sovereign guarantee, the financing was disrupted, and the project remains uncompleted.
“Actions like that discourage public servants. At times, it’s frustrating. But as Nigerians, we remain committed to serving our country and contributing to its development.
“When people claim ₦210tn is missing, they should be asked: where exactly did it go? Agencies like the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit and the EFCC should investigate and establish the facts so Nigerians can trust the truth,” Isa added.
The committee subsequently directed Isa and former Chief Upstream Investment Officer, Bala Wunti, to reappear before it within two weeks as the investigation continues.
