Senate Committee Orders Arrest of Former NNPCL Boss Mele Kyari Over ₦210trn Probe
The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has officially ordered the arrest of Mele Kyari, the immediate past Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). The order was issued on Wednesday following Kyari’s repeated failure to appear before the panel regarding an ongoing probe into ₦210 trillion in allegedly unaccounted funds between 2017 and 2023.
The investigation stems from 19 audit queries raised against the NNPCL by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.
Heated Debate Precedes Arrest Warrant
Kyari’s absence sparked intense debate among committee members, splitting the room on whether to grant him leniency:
The Plea for Leniency: Senators Saliu Mustapha (Kwara Central) and Tony Nwoye (Anranbra North) appealed to Committee Chairman Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo for more time, noting that Kyari was currently undergoing medical treatment in Germany.
The Push for Accountability: Opposing senators argued that verbal health claims were insufficient without official documentary evidence. Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) stressed that excuses were no longer enough.
The Final Motion: Pointing out that this was the committee's ninth meeting on the matter, Deputy Chairman Senator Peter Nwaebonyi (Ebonyi North) seconded a motion for arrest raised by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central), labeling further delays a "wild goose chase."
Following a unanimous voice vote, Chairman Dankwambo sustained the motion, declaring:
"Wherever Mele Kyari is, he should be arrested and brought before this committee."
Former CFO Dismisses ₦210trn Allegation as "Impossible"
While Kyari was absent, the former Chief Financial Officer of the NNPCL, Umar Ajiya Isa, appeared before the committee to vigorously deny the allegations. He presented financial context to argue that the missing sum was mathematically impossible.
| Financial Metric (2017–2023) | Amount |
| Alleged Missing/Unaccounted Funds | ₦210 Trillion |
| Actual Total NNPCL Revenue (Gross) | ₦54.5 Trillion |
"₦210 trillion is an enormous sum," Ajiya testified. "NNPC’s total revenue during the period under review was about ₦54.5 trillion, even before deducting production costs. It is impossible for ₦210 trillion to be missing or unaccounted for."
Ajiya further defended the previous management's transparency, noting that they had the courage to publish audited accounts—a practice he claimed had been neglected for over 40 years prior. He also refuted allegations that ₦5.8 billion was spent on registering NNPC Limited, urging the committee to verify registration costs directly with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and the Nigeria Revenue Service (formerly FIRS).
The Economic Cost of "Unfounded Claims"
Ajiya warned the panel that unverified, sensational allegations severely damage Nigeria's international standing.
Credit Ratings: International rating agencies rely on public reports; inaccurate narratives can degrade Nigeria's credit score.
Stalled Infrastructure: Ajiya noted that "unpatriotic petitions" had previously disrupted Chinese financing for the critical Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline.
Call for Investigation: He urged agencies like the EFCC and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to investigate the source of the ₦210 trillion figure to establish the facts.
Next Steps
The committee has ordered Umar Ajiya and Bala Wunti (the former Chief Upstream Investment Officer) to reappear in two weeks for further questioning so the panel can finalize its report for the full Senate.