The Senate Committee on Public Accounts on Wednesday ordered the arrest of former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, for failing to appear before it over allegations of ₦210 trillion in unaccounted funds between 2017 and 2023.
The directive followed Kyari’s repeated absence from an investigative hearing examining queries raised by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation concerning NNPCL’s financial records during the period under review.
However, former NNPCL Chief Financial Officer, Umar Isa, strongly disputed the allegations, insisting that no funds were missing and describing the ₦210 trillion figure as misleading and inconsistent with the company’s actual earnings during the period.
The arrest order came after lawmakers rejected calls for further delays in the investigation. During the hearing, Senators Saliu Mustapha (Kwara Central) and Tony Nwoye (Anambra North) urged the committee to exercise restraint and grant Kyari another opportunity to appear, citing reports that he was receiving medical treatment in Germany.
Their appeal, however, met strong resistance from other committee members, who argued that the investigation had already suffered enough delays and called for the immediate issuance of a warrant of arrest.
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) maintained that claims of illness should not be accepted without documentary evidence, a position later backed by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central), who formally moved the motion for Kyari’s arrest.
Seconding the motion, the committee’s Deputy Chairman, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi (Ebonyi North), warned that any further postponement would undermine the panel’s work.
“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,” Nwaebonyi said.
“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.”
Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) also argued that the Senate risked weakening its authority if it failed to enforce compliance with its summonses.
“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 said.
Following a voice vote, Committee Chairman Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe North) ruled that Kyari should be arrested and brought before the panel.
“Anywhere Mele Kyari is, he should be arrested and brought before this committee,” Dankwambo declared.
At the centre of the controversy is the alleged ₦210 trillion said to be unaccounted for in NNPCL’s books. Isa, however, dismissed the claim as mathematically impossible.
“To be clear, if money had gone missing at NNPC during our tenure, we would not have had the courage to publish audited accounts,” he said.
“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 during 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 also rejected allegations that ₦5.8 billion was spent on registering NNPC Limited, describing the claim as inaccurate and urging 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 rely on public information to assess countries, and inaccurate reports can negatively affect Nigeria’s credit rating and national interests,” he said.
He cited the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline project as an example, claiming that an “unpatriotic petition” submitted to Chinese authorities disrupted plans to secure about $2.5 billion in financing despite a sovereign guarantee.
“Actions like that discourage public servants. At times, it is frustrating. But as Nigerians, we remain committed to serving our country and contributing to its development,” Isa added.
“When people claim ₦210 trillion is missing, they should be asked: where exactly did it go? Agencies such as the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit and the EFCC should investigate and establish the facts so Nigerians can trust the truth.”
The committee subsequently directed Isa and the former Chief Upstream Investment Officer, Bala Wunti, to reappear before it within two weeks as the investigation continues.
