A dramatic twist has emerged in the ongoing probe of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), as the Senate Committee on Public Accounts ordered the arrest of former Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, over his repeated failure to appear before lawmakers.
The development followed Kyari’s alleged ninth consecutive absence from hearings investigating a reported ₦210 trillion discrepancy in NNPCL’s financial records. The issue has continued to attract nationwide attention due to its scale and potential implications for Nigeria’s oil sector.
Meanwhile, lawmakers expressed frustration after several invitations were reportedly ignored. As a result, the committee resolved through a voice vote that Kyari should be compelled to appear before the panel.
The arrest order was announced during a committee session chaired by Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo.
“Anywhere Mele Kyari is, he should be arrested and brought before this committee,” Dankwambo declared during the proceedings.
The investigation stems from audit concerns raised by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation. The audit reportedly questioned transactions and financial records covering the period from 2017 to 2023.
According to lawmakers, the committee has held multiple sittings without securing Kyari’s appearance.
However, some members urged caution. Reports presented before the committee suggested Kyari was receiving medical treatment in Germany.
Senator Tony Nwoye said he had spoken with the former NNPCL chief and was informed about his health condition. In addition, Senator Saliu Mustapha appealed for more time to be granted.
Several lawmakers disagreed.
“This matter has been on for sometime. We have been expecting Mr Mele Kyari to appear before us for one year or more and for us to receive information that he’s abroad. It shows that he’s not taking us seriously,” Senator Victor Umeh stated.
Furthermore, Deputy Chairman Peter Nwaebonyi stressed that the committee could not continue delaying its assignment.
“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.”
Meanwhile, a different perspective was presented by former NNPCL Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajiya. He challenged claims suggesting ₦210 trillion was missing from the company’s accounts.
“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.
“₦210 trillion 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.
Moreover, Ajiya argued that the disputed figures could be linked to accounting classifications such as receivables and accrued expenses rather than missing funds.
He also called for a forensic audit by agencies including the EFCC and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit to establish the facts.
The former finance chief warned that unverified allegations could affect investor confidence and Nigeria’s reputation in global energy markets.
Meanwhile, the committee directed Ajiya and former Chief Upstream Investment Officer Bala Wunti to return within two weeks for further questioning.
