Senate orders arrest of ex-NNPC boss Kyari over N210tn query

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts, on Wednesday, ordered the arrest of the immediate past Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, for failing to appear before it over allegations of N210tn unaccounted funds between 2017 and 2023.

The directive followed Kyari’s repeated absence from an investigative hearing probing queries raised by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation over the company’s financial records during the period under review.

However, former Chief Financial Officer of the NNPCL, Umar Ajiya Isa, challenged the allegations before the committee, insisting that no funds were missing and describing the N210tn figure as misleading when compared with the company’s actual earnings within the period.

The arrest warrant was issued after lawmakers ruled against further delay in the investigation.

During the sitting, Saliu Mustapha (Kwara Central) and Tony Nwoye (Anambra North) appealed for caution, urging the committee to grant Kyari another opportunity to appear, noting that he was reportedly ill and receiving treatment in Germany.

But their plea was strongly opposed by other members of the committee, who insisted that the investigation must proceed without further delay and demanded the issuance of a warrant of arrest.

Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) argued that verbal excuses should not be accepted without documented proof of illness, a position later supported by Victor Umeh (Anambra Central), who formally moved the motion for Kyari’s arrest.

Seconding the motion, the Deputy Chairman of the committee, Peter Nwaebonyi (Ebonyi North), warned that further delay would undermine the committee’s work.

He said, “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.”

Former Edo State Governor and senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, also argued that the Senate risked diminishing its own authority if it failed to enforce compliance with its summons.

“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,” he declared.

After a voice vote, the chairman of the committee, Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe North), ruled that Kyari should be arrested and produced before the panel.

Anywhere Mele Kyari is, he should be arrested and brought before this committee,” he declared.

At the centre of the controversy is the alleged N210tn said to be unaccounted for within the NNPC Limited accounts.

But Isa rejected the claim, insisting that it was mathematically inconsistent with the company’s financial records.

He said, “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.

“N210tn is an enormous sum. NNPC’s total revenue in the period under review was about N54.5tn, even before deducting production costs. It’s impossible for N210n to be missing or unaccounted for.”

He also dismissed claims that N5.8bn was spent on registering NNPC Limited, describing the allegation as inaccurate and damaging, and urged 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 $2.5bn 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 N210tn is missing, they should be asked: where exactly did it go? Agencies like the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission should investigate and establish the facts so Nigerians can trust the truth,” he said.

The committee subsequently directed Isa and former Chief Upstream Investment Officer during the period under review, Bala Wunti, to reappear before it within two weeks as the investigation continues.