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, following his failure to honour repeated invitations by the panel investigating alleged discrepancies in the company’s financial records.
The directive was issued during the committee’s investigative hearing in Abuja on Tuesday as lawmakers reviewed audit queries relating to NNPCL’s finances between 2017 and 2023. The committee is examining allegations that the oil company failed to adequately account for approximately ₦210 trillion flagged in audit reports.
Kyari’s absence at the hearing sparked intense debate among members of the committee. While some senators advocated granting him additional time to appear before the panel, others insisted that decisive action was necessary to ensure accountability and enable the committee to conclude its assignment.
Senators Saliu Mustapha and Tony Nwoye informed the committee that the former NNPCL boss was reportedly undergoing medical treatment in Germany and should be afforded another opportunity to respond to the summons. However, several lawmakers rejected the appeal, arguing that such claims should be substantiated with official documentation.
Senator Victor Umeh subsequently moved a motion for the issuance of a warrant for Kyari’s arrest, a proposal that received the support of the committee’s deputy chairman, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi.
“This is the ninth time this committee is meeting on the 19 audit queries raised against NNPCL by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation,” Nwaebonyi said.
Following a voice vote, the committee adopted the motion and directed that Kyari be brought before lawmakers to answer questions relating to the audit issues under investigation.
During the hearing, former NNPCL Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajiya Isa, dismissed suggestions that ₦210 trillion had gone missing from the company’s records, describing the allegations as misleading.
“NNPCL’s total revenue for the period under review was about ₦54.5 trillion before deducting production costs. It is therefore impossible for ₦210 trillion to be missing or unaccounted for,” Ajiya told the committee.
He maintained that the company’s audited financial statements reflected its commitment to transparency and accountability.
“If such a huge sum had been missing, the company would not have been able to publish audited accounts,” he added.
Ajiya also rejected allegations that ₦5.8 billion was expended on the transition from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, urging the committee to verify the claims with relevant government agencies.
He warned that unsubstantiated allegations could adversely affect both the reputation of the national oil company and Nigeria’s standing among international investors and rating agencies.
The former CFO further called on anti-corruption and financial intelligence agencies to independently investigate the claims in order to establish the facts surrounding the disputed figures.
At the conclusion of the session, the committee directed Ajiya and former Chief Upstream Investment Officer, Bala Wunti, to reappear before it in two weeks as investigations continue.
The Senate panel is expected to submit its findings after completing its review of the audit queries raised against the national oil company, amid growing calls for greater transparency and accountability in the management of public resources.
