The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has ordered the arrest of former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, for failing to appear before it over allegations involving an unaccounted ₦210 trillion between 2017 and 2023.

The decision was taken after Kyari failed to attend the committee’s investigative hearing into alleged financial discrepancies flagged in queries issued by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.

During the session, some lawmakers appealed to the committee chairman, Ibrahim Dankwambo, to grant Kyari another opportunity to appear, citing reports that he was receiving medical treatment in Germany.

However, other committee members opposed the request and pushed for the immediate issuance of a warrant of arrest.

Leading the opposition, Abdul Ningi argued that verbal explanations regarding Kyari’s absence were inadequate and should be supported by official medical documentation.

The call for stronger action gained momentum when Victor Umeh moved a motion for the issuance of a warrant of arrest.

Seconding the motion, the committee’s Deputy Chairman, Peter Nwaebonyi, said granting Kyari another opportunity to appear voluntarily would amount to a “wild goose chase.”

“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. I personally chaired three of these sessions.

“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,” he said.

The committee subsequently adopted the motion through a voice vote.

Announcing the decision, Dankwambo directed that Kyari be arrested wherever he is and brought before the panel.

Meanwhile, former NNPCL Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajiya Isa, dismissed claims that ₦210 trillion was unaccounted for, describing the allegation as impossible based on the company’s revenue profile during the period under review.

According to him, NNPCL generated approximately ₦54.5 trillion in revenue between 2017 and 2023, making it mathematically impossible for ₦210 trillion to be missing.

“To be clear, if money had gone missing at NNPC during our tenure, we would not have had the confidence to publish audited accounts. For more than 40 years, those accounts were either not prepared, not published, or not submitted to the Auditor-General.

“₦210 trillion is an enormous amount. NNPC’s total revenue during the period under review was about ₦54.5 trillion, even before deducting production costs. It is therefore impossible for ₦210 trillion to be missing or unaccounted for,” he said.

Ajiya also rejected allegations that ₦5.8 billion was spent on the registration of NNPC Limited, describing the claim as false and potentially damaging.

“Unfounded claims cause significant damage. They affect the reputations of individuals, the company and Nigeria as a whole. International rating agencies rely on public information to assess countries, and inaccurate reports can negatively impact Nigeria’s credit rating and national interests,” he said.

He challenged those making the allegations to provide evidence to substantiate their claims.

As the investigation continues, the committee directed Ajiya and Bala Wunti to reappear before it in two weeks for further questioning.