The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has ordered the arrest of the immediate past chief executive of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mr Mele Kyari, for failing to appear before it to explain what he knows about the allegations surrounding of an unaccounted N210 trillion between 2017 and 2023.
The decision followed Mr Kyari’s absence at the committee’s investigative hearing into the alleged financial discrepancies.
During the session, some lawmakers appealed to the committee chairman, Mr Ibrahim Dankwambo, to grant Mr Kyari another opportunity to appear, citing reports that he was receiving medical treatment in Germany.
The appeal, however, faced stiff opposition from other committee members, who insisted that a warrant of arrest be issued against the former NNPC chief.
Leading the opposition, Mr Abdul Ningi argued that verbal explanations for Mr Kyari’s absence were insufficient and should be supported by documented medical evidence. Mr Victor Umeh subsequently moved a motion for the issuance of a warrant of arrest.
Seconding the motion, the committee’s Deputy Chairman, Mr Peter Nwaebonyi, said granting Mr Kyari another opportunity to appear voluntarily would amount to a wild goose chase.
“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. I personally chaired three of these sessions.
“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.
Following a voice vote, the committee overwhelmingly adopted the motion.
Declaring the committee’s position, Mr Dankwambo directed that Mr Kyari be arrested wherever he is and brought before the panel.
Meanwhile, former NNPC Chief Financial Officer, Mr Umar Ajiya Isa, rejected claims that N210 trillion was unaccounted for, arguing that the figure exceeded the company’s total revenue during the period under review.
According to him, NNPC generated about N54.5 trillion in revenue between 2017 and 2023, making it impossible for N210 trillion to be missing.
“To be clear, if money had gone missing at NNPC during our tenure, we would not have had the confidence to publish audited accounts. For more than 40 years, those accounts were either not prepared, not published, or not submitted to the Auditor-General.
“N210 trillion is an enormous amount. NNPC’s total revenue during the period under review was about N54.5 trillion, even before deducting production costs. It is therefore impossible for N210 trillion to be missing or unaccounted for,” he said.
Mr Ajiya also dismissed claims that N5.8 billion was spent on the registration of NNPC Limited, describing the allegation as false and damaging.
“Unfounded claims cause significant damage. They affect the reputations of individuals, the company and Nigeria as a whole. International rating agencies rely on public information to assess countries, and inaccurate reports can negatively impact Nigeria’s credit rating and national interests,” he said.
He challenged those making the allegations to provide evidence in support of their claims.
As the investigation continues, the committee directed Mr Ajiya and Bala Wunti, who served as Chief Upstream Investment Officer during the period under review, to reappear before it in two weeks.