Senate Orders Arrest of Kyari Over N210 Trillion NNPCL Audit Queries

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, over his failure to appear before it in an ongoing investigation into audit queries covering the company’s finances between 2017 and 2023.

The directive was issued on Tuesday during a tense investigative hearing in Abuja chaired by Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo (PDP, Gombe North), where lawmakers reviewed multiple audit issues raised by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation.

The committee is probing financial records of the national oil company, with particular attention to audit queries flagged in its reports over the six-year period under review.

Kyari’s repeated absence from the hearing triggered strong reactions from senators, with some calling for immediate enforcement action while others pushed for a final opportunity for him to appear before the panel.

Senators Saliu Mustapha (APC, Kwara Central) and Tony Nwoye (LP, Anambra North) noted that the former NNPCL boss was reportedly receiving medical treatment in Germany and appealed for more time to allow him honour the invitation.

However, several lawmakers rejected the request, insisting that claims of ill health must be backed with proper medical documentation.

Senator Victor Umeh (LP, Anambra Central) moved a motion for a warrant of arrest against Kyari, a move that was seconded by Senator Peter Nwaebonyi (APC, Ebonyi North), the committee’s deputy chairman.

Nwaebonyi stressed that the committee had made multiple attempts to get Kyari to appear, adding that the investigation could not be indefinitely delayed.

Following a voice vote, the motion was adopted, and the committee directed that Kyari be brought before it to respond to questions on the audit queries.

During the session, former NNPCL Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajiya Isa, dismissed claims that N210 trillion was unaccounted for, describing the figure as misleading and inconsistent with the company’s actual revenue profile.

He explained that the total revenue generated during the period was far lower than the disputed figure, making it impossible for such an amount to be missing.

Ajiya also defended the company’s financial reporting process, insisting that audited accounts had been published and subjected to proper scrutiny.

The committee has adjourned the hearing and ordered Kyari and other key officials to reappear in two weeks as the investigation continues.