Senate Orders Arrest Of Ex-NNPC GCEO Mele Kyari For Missing ₦210trn Audit Queries

The Senate has issued a warrant of arrest for former Group Chief Executive Officer, GCEO, of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC, Mele Kyari, over his alleged repeated refusal to honour its summons.

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts issued the warrant on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.

The committee had invited NNPC Limited leadership to respond to audit queries involving a cumulative sum of ₦210 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.

The public accounts committee said the current GCEO, 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, at the resumed hearing on Wednesday, Kyari was absent, a development that infuriated the lawmakers.

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

“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,” Umeh said.

“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.”

Senator Tony Nwoye said Kyari had told him he would appear, but that he was hospitalised in Germany.

“I spoke to Mele Kyari 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,” Nwoye said.

Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi shut down Nwoye, saying he was not Kyari’s lawyer and had no right to defend his absence. He noted Kyari had ignored summons nine consecutive times.

Nwaebonyi seconded Umeh’s motion. The chairman of the committee, Ibrahim Dankambo, affirmed it following a unanimous voice vote.