The Senate Committee on Public Accounts ordered the arrest of Mele Kyari, the immediate former Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, for failing to appear before it in connection with charges of N210 trillion in unaccounted money between 2017 and 2023.
Issued on Wednesday, the order came after Kyari’s persistent absence from an investigative hearing exploring questions raised by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation about the company’s financial records during the period under examination.
However, former NNPCL Chief Financial Officer Umar Ajiya Isa disputed the charges before the committee, claiming that no monies were missing and described the N210 trillion number as misleading when compared to the company’s real earnings during the period.
The arrest warrant was issued after lawmakers decided against further delaying the inquiry.
During the meeting, Saliu Mustapha (Kwara Central) and Tony Nwoye (Anambra North) urged the committee to give Kyari another chance to present, citing that he was supposedly ill and undergoing treatment in Germany.
Other committee members, however, fiercely opposed their request, insisting that the probe proceed without further delay and demanding the issuing of an arrest warrant.
Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) stated that verbal justifications should not be accepted in the absence of written proof of illness, which was later supported by Victor Umeh (Anambra Central), who formally moved for Kyari’s arrest.
Seconding the motion, the committee’s Deputy Chairman, Peter Nwaebonyi (Ebonyi North), warned that any additional delays would jeopardize 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 Senator 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 committee head, Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe North), ordered that Kyari should be detained and brought before the panel.
“Anywhere Mele Kyari is, he should be arrested and brought before this committee,” he declared.
The reported N210 trillion that is missing from the NNPC Limited accounts is at the heart of the controversy.
But Isa denied the assertion, claiming that it was mathematically incompatible 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 unprepared, undisclosed, or not 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 denied reports that N5.8 billion was spent on registering NNPC Limited, calling the charge incorrect and hurtful, and requested the committee to double-check the facts with appropriate 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 such scenarios before. While seeking about $2.5 billion 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 N210 tn 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 then asked Isa and former Chief Upstream Investment Officer during the period under consideration, Bala Wunti, to appear before it again within two weeks as the probe continued.
