The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has ordered the arrest of the former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, following his repeated failure to appear before the committee investigating audit queries linked to N210 trillion. The committee is probing financial issues raised in audit reports covering the period from 2017 to 2023. The queries originated from reports by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation on the expenditures of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The committee had summoned top NNPCL officials, including current Group Chief Executive Officer Bayo Ojulari, former Chief Financial Officer Umar Ajia, Bala Wunti, Kyari, and the company's external auditors, to provide explanations regarding the audit observations.
However, when the committee reconvened on Wednesday, Kyari was absent, prompting lawmakers to express frustration over what they described as his continued disregard for legislative invitations.
Moving a motion for his arrest, Senator Victor Umeh said Kyari's conduct demonstrated a lack of respect for the committee's work.
“Kyari should be here; we cannot wait for him to appear before us at his convenience.
“It is a national emergency that Mele Kyari should cut short his trip anywhere in the world and return home.
“He should come before this committee to answer the questions put by the auditor-general for the federation against NNPCL.
“So if I am to say, I will say that this committee should issue a warrant of arrest against Kyari.
“We are talking about trillions of naira. The country is not faring well. If we have access to these funds, we will not be in this financial challenge.
“He must come and explain what has happened to these funds. So I so move that he should be issued a warrant of arrest,” Umeh said.
In response, Senator Tony Nwoye informed the committee that Kyari had previously assured him that he would honour the invitation. He added that he had since learned the former NNPCL chief was receiving medical treatment in Germany.
“I spoke to Mele Kyari; that was a week ago. He promised that he would be here.
“But incidentally, I learnt last night that the man is hospitalised in Germany; yes, he is in hospital in Germany,” Nwoye said.
The explanation was, however, challenged by Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, who argued that Nwoye was not authorised to defend Kyari's absence before the committee.
Nwaebonyi noted that Kyari had failed to honour the committee's invitations on nine separate occasions and backed the call for his arrest.
Following deliberations, the committee unanimously adopted the motion through a voice vote. Chairman of the committee, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, subsequently affirmed the decision, directing that a warrant of arrest be issued against the former NNPCL chief. NAN