Senate Disowns Arrest Warrant Against NNPCL's Kyari

The Nigerian Senate has formally disassociated itself from an arrest warrant issued by the Public Accounts Committee against Mele Kyari, the former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). This decision followed disparaging comments made by Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who described the NNPCL as a "bunch of criminals and thieves." The Senate, led by Opeyemi Bamidele, emphasized the need to preserve its institutional authority and ensure compliance with legislative procedures.

The controversy arose during a session where the Public Accounts Committee, chaired by Ibrahim Dankwambo, continued its investigation into queries raised against the NNPCL based on the Auditor General's report from 2017 to 2023. The Senate declared the arrest warrant against Kyari as procedurally irregular and urged the committee to exercise restraint in public statements to avoid prejudicing ongoing investigations.

The motion received strong support from other senators, including Barau Jibrin and Tahir Monguno, who criticized Oshiomhole's remarks as reckless.