June 10, (THEWILL) — The Senate, on Wednesday, ordered the arrest of former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, for repeatedly failing to appear before lawmakers probing audit queries involving ₦210 trillion, insisting that “no one is bigger than Nigeria.”
The order followed Kyari’s absence from an investigative hearing conducted by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, which is examining 19 audit queries raised by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation on NNPCL’s financial records between 2017 and 2023.
Lawmakers took the decision after rejecting fresh appeals for a postponement of the hearing and insisting that the former NNPCL chief must personally appear before the committee to answer questions arising from the audit observations.
During the sitting, Senators Saliu Mustapha (Kwara Central) and Tony Nwoye (Anambra North) appealed to the committee to grant Kyari another opportunity to honour the summons, citing reports that he was ill and receiving medical treatment in Germany.
Their plea, however, met stiff resistance from other members of the panel, who argued that no official communication or documentary evidence had been submitted to substantiate the claim.
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) maintained that verbal explanations could not replace formal documentation, stressing that the Senate had already shown considerable patience in the matter.
The motion for Kyari’s arrest was moved by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) and seconded by the committee’s Deputy Chairman, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi (Ebonyi North). Nwaebonyi said the committee could no longer afford delays in concluding the investigation.
“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”, he said.
Former Edo State Governor and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, also backed the move, warning that the Senate risked undermining its 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”, Oshiomhole declared.
Following a voice vote, Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe North), ruled in favour of the motion and directed that Kyari be produced before the panel.
“Anywhere Mele Kyari is, he should be arrested and brought before this committee”, Dankwambo declared.
THEWILL reports that the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, in its audit report had alleged that ₦210 trillion remains unaccounted for in NNPC books during the seven-year period spanning between 2017 and 2023.
Speaking on Wednesday, former Chief Financial Officer of NNPCL, Umar Isa, who appeared before the committee, disputed the figure and described the allegation as mathematically impossible. According to Isa, NNPCL’s total revenue between 2017 and 2023 stood at approximately ₦54.5 trillion, making claims of ₦210 trillion in missing funds unrealistic.
“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 is impossible for ₦210 trillion to be missing or unaccounted for”, Isa said.
He also dismissed allegations that ₦5.8 billion was spent on the registration of NNPC Limited, describing the claim as inaccurate and damaging to the company’s reputation.
Isa warned that unverified allegations against the national oil company could negatively affect Nigeria’s international standing, credit ratings and ability to attract foreign investment.
“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”, he said.
The former CFO further cited the disruption of financing arrangements for the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline project, alleging that misleading petitions submitted to foreign authorities contributed to delays in securing about $2.5 billion in Chinese funding.
“When people claim ₦210 trillion 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 added.
At the end of the hearing, the committee directed Isa and the former Chief Upstream Investment Officer during the period under review, Bala Wunti, to reappear before it within two weeks as the investigation continues.
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