On Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Public Accounts  ordered the immediate arrest of a former chief of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari. 

Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, ruled after a voice vote by members of the committee that Mr Kyari should be arrested for failing to appear before the committee over N210 trillion that was unaccounted for under his watch between 2017 and 2023.

“Anywhere Mele Kyari is, he should be arrested and brought before this committee,” Mr Dankwambo said, after members of the committee made their contributions.

Victor Umeh of Anambra Central moved the motion for Mr Kyari’s immediate arrest during the debate.

Adams Oshiomhole, senator representing Edo North, said, “Mr Chairman, this committee must have the courage to deploy its powers as enunciated in the Nigerian constitution and issue a warrant, not tomorrow but today, to bring Mele Kyari, even dead or alive, to  account for his alleged crime that runs into trillions of naira. 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. NNPC’s reputation is for fraud. NNPC is a house of thieves.”

Speaking on Mr Kyari’s failure to appear before the Senate committee, Peter Nwaebonyi of Ebonyi North, seconded the motion for Mr Kyari’s arrest, warning that further delay would undermine the committee’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. 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,” Mr Nwaebonyi said.

Saliu Mustapha of Kwara Central and Tony Nwoye of Anambra North urged the committee not to order the arrest of Mr Kyari, adding that he has been sick and  receiving treatment abroad.

However, their plea was dismissed by other members of the committee. Abdul Ningi of Bauchi Central said Mr Kyari would need to provide evidence of his illness, not just verbal claims.

Appearing before the committee, former NNPCL’s chief financial officer, Umar Isa, said the allegations of missing N210 trillion were not true when compared with what the NNPCL earned during the period under review.