Former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, has reacted to the arrest warrant issued against him by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, saying he was surprised by the decision and had earlier notified the committee of his medical trip outside the country.
The Senate committee had ordered security agencies to arrest and produce Kyari before lawmakers after he failed to appear at an investigative hearing probing alleged discrepancies involving about N210 trillion in NNPCL accounts between 2017 and 2023.
In a letter dated June 10, 2026, Kyari stated that he had already informed the committee in earlier correspondence that he was abroad receiving medical attention and therefore unable to attend the hearing in person.
He explained that his communication was submitted to the committee in May and acknowledged, stressing that he had not intended to disregard the lawmakers’ invitation.
Kyari further stated that he remained willing to appear before the committee once he returned to the country and had also offered to respond to questions in writing to avoid delaying the investigation.
In a previous letter, he said he had not initially seen any formal invitation but would have honoured it if it had been properly received, adding that his absence was due to ongoing medical treatment abroad.
He also maintained that all financial transactions carried out during his tenure were properly documented and available for verification within the company’s records.
The Senate Committee on Public Accounts is investigating 19 audit queries raised by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation regarding NNPCL’s financial operations over the six-year period under review.
During the committee’s sitting, lawmakers including Adams Oshiomhole and others debated the matter, with some urging caution and others pushing for immediate enforcement of the summons.
The motion for Kyari’s arrest was eventually moved within the committee and adopted after a voice vote presided over by Chairman Ibrahim Dankwambo.
The investigation also examined claims surrounding the alleged unaccounted funds, which some committee members argued required further scrutiny, while others insisted that delays had become unacceptable.
A former NNPCL Chief Financial Officer who appeared before the panel rejected claims of missing funds, arguing that the company’s audited records showed no such financial discrepancy and that its total revenue during the period was significantly lower than the figure being questioned.
He maintained that the published financial statements were evidence that the accounts were properly managed.
The committee has directed other former officials of the company to reappear before it as the investigation conCorruption
