The Senate Committee on Public Accounts on Wednesday ordered the arrest of the immediate past Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, for failing to appear before it over allegations involving N210 trillion in unaccounted funds between 2017 and 2023.
Former Chief Financial Officer of the NNPCL, Umar Isa, challenged the allegations before the committee, insisting that no funds were missing and describing the N210 trillion figure as misleading when compared with the company’s actual earnings during the period. Senators Saliu Mustapha and Tony Nwoye appealed for caution, urging the committee to grant Kyari another opportunity to appear as he was reportedly ill and receiving treatment in Germany, but other members insisted on issuing a warrant for his arrest.
Senator Abdul Ningi argued that verbal excuses should not be accepted without documented proof of illness, and Senator Victor Umeh formally moved the motion for Kyari’s arrest.
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The Deputy Chairman of the committee, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi, warned that further delay would undermine the committee’s work, stating that this was the ninth time the committee was meeting on the 19 queries raised against NNPCL and that the time to issue a warrant of arrest against Kyari was now. After a voice vote, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, ruled that Kyari should be arrested anywhere he is and brought before the panel.
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