Senate orders Mele Kyari’s arrest over missing N210trn

The Senate has ordered the arrest of former Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari, over his alleged refusal to honour its invitation.

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts issued the warrant on Wednesday.

The committee had invited leadership of NNPC Limited to appear before it to respond to audit queries involving a N210 trillion spanning 2017 to 2023.

The queries emanated from the audit report of the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation on expenditures of MDAs from 2017 to 2023.

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The public accounts committee had said that the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Bayo Ojulari, was expected to lead the delegation.

Other officials listed to appear included Kyari, former Chief Financial Officer Umar Ajia, Bala Wunti, and the company’s external auditors.

However, the lawmakers were said to be infuriated as Kyari was absent at the resumed hearing of the committee Wednesday.

Senator Victor Umeh, who moved the motion to issue warrant of arrest, said Kyari’s attitude showed that he was not taking the committee seriously.

Umeh said, “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 NNPC Limited.

“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.”

However, Senator Tony Nwoye said Kyari had spoken to him and assured him that he would appear at the resumed hearing of the committee.

Nwoye said the current information available to him indicated that Kyari is currently hospitalised in Germany.

The senator said, “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.”

But Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi said since Nwoye was not Kyari’s lawyer, he had no right to defend his absence.

He noted that Kyari had ignored summons by the committee for nine consecutive times.

Nwaebonyi consequently seconded Umeh’s motion, saying a warrant of arrest should be issued on the former NNPC Limited boss.

The chairman of the committee, Ibrahim Dankambo, consequently affirmed the motion, following a unanimous voice vote by members of the committee.