THE Senate Committee on Public Accounts has ordered the arrest of former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, over his repeated failure to appear before lawmakers investigating an alleged N210 trillion discrepancy in the company’s financial records.
The directive was issued on Wednesday, June 10, after Kyari allegedly failed, for the ninth time, to honour invitations from the Nigerian Senate Public Accounts Committee, which is probing audit queries raised by the Office of the Auditor-General covering the period between 2017 and 2023.
Chairman of the committee, Ibrahim Dankwambo, a senator from Gombe North, said Kyari should be compelled to appear before the panel, following a voice vote by lawmakers who rejected further delays.
“Anywhere Mele Kyari is, he should be arrested and brought before this committee,” he declared.
Background to the probe
The investigation stems from audit queries flagged by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, which raised questions about discrepancies running into ₦210 trillion in NNPCL’s accounts over a six-year period.
The matter first became public in 2025, when the Senate Public Accounts Committee began reviewing the national oil company’s audited financial statements and requested explanations for the figures submitted.
Lawmakers subsequently issued multiple invitations to Kyari and other senior officials of NNPCL to appear before the committee.
However, his repeated absence led to multiple adjournments, with senators stating that the committee had held at least nine sittings without resolution.
Kyari was removed from office in April 2025 by President Bola Tinubu as part of a broader restructuring of the national oil company amid increasing scrutiny of its operations.
Since his exit, the Senate has continued its probe, while NNPCL’s management has provided partial explanations to the committee, including claims that portions of the disputed figures represent accrued expenses and receivables rather than missing funds.
Arguments at the hearing
At Wednesday’s session, some senators appealed for caution, citing reports that Kyari was receiving medical treatment in Germany.
Tony Nwoye, a senator representing Anambra North said he had spoken with the former NNPCL chief and was informed of his condition abroad, while Saliu Mustapha of Kwara Central urged the committee to grant him more time.
However, several lawmakers opposed any further delay.
Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) insisted that claims of illness must be supported with documentary evidence, while Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) argued that Kyari’s continued absence showed disregard for the committee.
“This matter has been on for sometime. We have been expecting Mr Mele Kyari to appear before us for one year or more and for us to receive information that he’s abroad. It shows that he’s not taking us seriously,” ” Umeh said.
Deputy Chairman of the committee, Peter Nwaebonyi (Ebonyi North), noted that the panel had already met nine times on the matter.
“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.”
Also, the senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole backed enforcement action, warning that failure to compel compliance would weaken the authority of the legislature.
Following deliberations, the committee resolved through a voice vote that Kyari should be arrested and produced before it.
Dispute over ₦210 trillion figure
During the session, former NNPCL Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajiya, challenged the allegation that ₦210 trillion was missing, describing the figure as inconsistent with the company’s financial capacity.
He said NNPCL’s total revenue within the period under review stood at about ₦54.5 trillion, making it mathematically impossible for ₦210 trillion to be unaccounted for.
“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 not prepared, not made public, or not even shared with the Auditor-General.
“₦210 trillion is an enormous sum. NNPC’s total revenue in the period under review was about ₦54.5 trillion, even before deducting production costs. It’s impossible for ₦210 trillion to be missing or unaccounted for,” he said.
Ajiya maintained that the disputed figures likely arose from accounting classifications such as receivables and accrued expenses rather than missing funds.
He urged anti-corruption agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), to conduct a forensic audit to establish clarity.
He also warned that unverified allegations could damage Nigeria’s reputation and investor confidence.
The committee subsequently directed Ajiya and former Chief Upstream Investment Officer, Bala Wunti, to reappear before it within two weeks as the investigation continues.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M