Senate Orders Arrest of NNPCL's Mele Kyari Over N210trn

The Nigerian Senate has ordered the immediate arrest of Mele Kyari, the former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), due to allegations of unaccounted funds totaling N210 trillion from 2017 to 2023. Kyari failed to appear before the Senate's Public Accounts Committee, which led to the decision for his arrest.

Former Chief Financial Officer Umar Ajiya dismissed the allegations, asserting that no funds were missing and described the figure as inconsistent with the company's actual revenue profile. The committee, led by members including Saliu Mustapha and Toni Nwoye, expressed frustration over Kyari's absence, with some members calling for enforcement action.

Ajiya argued that the claim of unaccounted funds was impossible and warned that unverifiable allegations could damage Nigeria's reputation and investor confidence. The committee has directed Ajiya and former Chief Upstream Investment Officer Bala Wunti to reappear in two weeks.