A dramatic session unfolded at the Senate on Wednesday as the Senate Committee on Public Accounts 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 lawmakers investigating alleged unaccounted funds amounting to 210 trillion between 2017 and 2023.
The committee’s directive followed Kyari’s absence from an investigative hearing examining 19 audit queries raised against the national oil company by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation. Lawmakers insisted that the former NNPCL chief had repeatedly failed to honour invitations despite several opportunities granted to him.
The hearing took another twist when former Chief Financial Officer of the NNPCL, Umar Ajiya Isa, strongly rejected claims that 210 trillion was missing from the company’s accounts. He argued that the figure being cited as unaccounted for exceeded the total revenue generated by the corporation during the period under review.
During deliberations, some committee members urged restraint. Senator Saliu Mustapha and Senator Tony Nwoye informed the committee that Kyari was reportedly receiving medical treatment in Germany and should be granted another opportunity to appear before lawmakers.
Their plea, however, met stiff resistance from other members of the panel who insisted that verbal explanations were insufficient. Senator Abdul Ningi argued that any claim of illness should be backed by documentary evidence rather than mere verbal assurances.
The strongest push for enforcement came from Senator Victor Umeh, who formally moved a motion calling for the issuance of a warrant of arrest against the former NNPCL chief. The motion received immediate support from the committee’s Deputy Chairman, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi.
Nwaebonyi told the committee that granting Kyari another opportunity to appear voluntarily would amount to chasing shadows. He noted that the committee had already convened nine separate meetings on the matter, with three of them presided over by him, without securing the former NNPCL chief’s appearance.
“This is the ninth time this committee is meeting on the 19 audit queries raised against NNPCL. The time to issue a warrant of arrest is now because the committee must conclude its assignment and report back to the Senate,” he declared.
Following a voice vote, Committee Chairman Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo announced the panel’s decision, directing security agencies to ensure Kyari’s appearance before the committee.
“Anywhere Mele Kyari is, he should be arrested and brought before this committee,” Dankwambo ruled.
While the committee intensified pressure on the former NNPCL boss, Isa mounted a vigorous defence of the company’s financial records. He described the allegation of 210 trillion in missing funds as impossible, insisting that the figures did not align with NNPCL’s audited financial statements.
According to him, the company generated approximately ?54.5 trillion in revenue during the period under review, even before accounting for production costs. He argued that it would be mathematically impossible for 210 trillion to be missing when the total earnings were significantly lower than the amount being alleged.
“To be clear, if money had gone missing during our tenure, we would not have had the confidence to publish audited accounts. For over four decades, NNPC accounts were either not prepared, not published, or not submitted to the Auditor-General. The fact that audited accounts were released demonstrates transparency,” he said.
Isa also dismissed allegations that 5.8 billion was spent on the registration of NNPC Limited, describing the claim as false and harmful. He challenged the committee to verify the matter independently with the Corporate Affairs Commission and the Nigeria Revenue Service.
Warning against the consequences of inaccurate financial allegations, the former CFO said unsubstantiated claims could damage Nigeria’s international reputation and affect investor confidence. He recalled how a previous petition allegedly disrupted efforts to secure about $2.5 billion in Chinese financing for the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline project, despite sovereign guarantees backing the deal.
He further urged anti-corruption and intelligence agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, to investigate the allegations thoroughly and establish the facts. “When people claim 210 trillion is missing, they should be asked where exactly it went,” he stated.
At the conclusion of the hearing, the committee directed Isa and former Chief Upstream Investment Officer, Bala Wunti, to return in two weeks as lawmakers continue their probe into the audit queries and the financial operations of the NNPCL during the period under review.
