The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has threatened to issue an arrest warrant against the former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Mele Kyari. This is to make him appear before the committee.
The committee made this threat after Mr Kyari did not respond to several invitations to explain a reported ₦210 trillion discrepancy from the Auditor-General of the Federation's reports for the years 2017 to 2023.
Mr Kyari was removed from his position by President Bola Tinubu in April 2025 due to multiple corruption allegations against him.
Ibrahim Dankwambo, the committee chairman, issued this warning during a meeting at the National Assembly on Wednesday.
Mr Dankwambo, a former governor of Gombe State, said the committee had no choice as Mr Kyari had ignored many invitations to appear.
The issue around the alleged ₦210 trillion discrepancy began in June 2025 when NNPC Ltd’s audited financial records caught public attention. At that time, the Senate committee gave NNPC Ltd a seven-day ultimatum to explain the discrepancies. But the company, now headed by Bayo Ojulari, did not meet the deadline, claiming its top officials were at a retreat.
This failure to respond directly to the Senate’s questions raised public worries about transparency and accountability in the national oil company.
In November 2025, NNPC Ltd submitted a written response to the committee, stating that ₦103 trillion was for accrued expenses and ₦107 trillion was recorded as receivables. The committee, then chaired by Aliyu Wadada of Nasarawa West, rejected this explanation and insisted that the company’s leaders appear in person for further clarification.
The situation remained unresolved until Mr Dankwambo took over as chairman and continued the investigation.
Before ruling on the arrest warrant, several lawmakers expressed anger over Mr Kyari’s absence. Bauchi Central Senator Abdul Ningi argued that the committee could not afford more delays and insisted Mr Kyari must come before them.
Anambra Central Senator Victor Umeh said they learned that Mr Kyari was outside Nigeria despite expectations he would attend the hearing. Mr Umeh, a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), said Mr Kyari’s actions showed he did not take the hearing seriously.
“This matter has been ongoing for some time. We have been waiting for Mr Mele Kyari to appear before us for over a year. To hear that he is abroad shows he is not taking us seriously,” he said.
He urged the committee to tell the former NNPC chief to cut his trip short and return to Nigeria to answer questions about the probe.
“We cannot wait for him to come when it suits him. This is a national emergency. Mele Kyari should end his trip anywhere in the world and return home to face this committee,” he added.
Anambra North Senator Tony Nwoye, however, said he spoke with Mr Kyari and was told that the former NNPC chief was getting medical care in Germany. Jigawa North-west Senator Babangida Hussaini suggested discussing the matter in a closed-door session, but other committee members opposed this.
Edo North Senator Adams Oshiomhole urged the committee to use its powers to make Mr Kyari appear. “Some people see themselves as bigger than Nigeria. This committee must have the courage to issue a warrant to bring Mele Kyari, even if he is dead. We want to see his body and have him account,” he said.
Umar Ajiya, a former chief financial officer of NNPC Ltd, also appeared before the committee. He disputed claims of ₦210 trillion being missing. Mr Ajiya called that figure a misconception, stating that NNPC Ltd’s total revenue during the period was around ₦54.5 trillion.
“N210 trillion is a huge amount. The reality is that the total revenue earned in that period was ₦54.5 trillion. So how can ₦210 trillion be missing?” he asked.
He suggested if any funds were unaccounted for, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) should conduct a thorough investigation.
“I have advised the Auditor-General and the last minister of finance to do a forensic audit in NNPC to find the truth. If anyone has stolen money, they should be found and jailed. We don’t steal. We block leakages.
“When you hear claims of ₦210 trillion missing, ask EFCC and NFIU to find it so Nigerians can rest,” he added.
Mr Ajiya stressed that repeated claims about missing trillions harm the reputation of NNPC Ltd and Nigeria. He said such allegations could hurt investor confidence and Nigeria’s international standing.
“The danger is that we are not just harming individuals and the company but Nigeria as a whole. What we share with the public is what agencies use to rate Nigeria.
“Previously, we were looking for 2.5 billion from China. An unpatriotic Nigerian wrote a petition to the Chinese government, stopping that project. These issues can hurt those working for the government. Sometimes, you regret working for the government, but as a Nigerian, you cannot regret working for Nigeria,” Mr Ajiya said.
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