The Nigerian Senate has intervened in a high-stakes investigation, overturning an arrest warrant for former Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, and publicly rebuking Senator Adams Oshiomhole for controversial remarks made during a committee hearing. The Senate's decision, coming just 48 hours after the Senate Committee on Public Accounts ordered Kyari's arrest over a probe into disputed audit entries totaling N210 trillion, marks a significant twist in one of the most contentious legislative investigations in recent history.
Senate Leader Challenges Committee's Authority
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele moved a motion on the floor declaring that the Senate Committee on Public Accounts lacked the legal authority to independently issue a warrant of arrest. He warned that some of the committee's actions risked violating due process and undermining the credibility of the National Assembly. The development effectively halted the arrest process initiated during Tuesday's hearing into audit observations forwarded by the Auditor-General of the Federation, which involved alleged unresolved financial entries exceeding N210 trillion in NNPCL's audited accounts from 2017 to 2023.
Background of the Controversy
The controversy began when the committee, chaired by Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, adopted a motion sponsored by Senator Victor Umeh calling for Kyari's arrest after he allegedly failed to honour repeated invitations. Lawmakers argued that the investigation could not continue to stall while questions involving trillions of naira remained unanswered. “This matter has lingered for too long. Nigerians deserve answers,” Umeh declared before the committee voted overwhelmingly in favour of the warrant.
However, the hearing exploded into controversy when Senator Adams Oshiomhole launched a blistering attack on the former NNPCL leadership. Arguing that Parliament risked making itself irrelevant if it failed to enforce its summons, Oshiomhole declared that the law must be effective “when it catches the lion, not only when it catches the rabbit.” He then urged the committee to immediately deploy its powers.
The atmosphere became even more chaotic when Senator Tony Nwoye disclosed that Kyari was reportedly receiving medical treatment in Germany. Before Nwoye could complete his explanation, Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi interrupted, accusing him of acting as Kyari's defender. The confrontation represented only a fraction of the fireworks that followed.
NNPCL Officials Defend Financial Records
During a separate session, former NNPCL Chief Finance Officer Bala Ajiya mounted a vigorous defence of the company's financial records, insisting that there was no missing N210 trillion and accusing critics of misunderstanding accounting procedures. The explanations failed to convince Oshiomhole. In one of the most explosive moments of the probe, the former Edo State governor openly rejected Ajiya's defence, accusing NNPCL officials of attempting to evade accountability. At one point, Oshiomhole described officials of the national oil company as “thieves” and later referred to NNPCL as “a bunch of criminals and thieves,” comments that sparked uproar and forced Chairman Dankwambo to repeatedly intervene to restore order.
Full Senate Moves to Contain Fallout
Yesterday, the full Senate moved swiftly to contain the fallout. Presenting his motion, Bamidele argued that no Senate committee possessed the power to independently issue a warrant of arrest, stressing that such authority resides exclusively with the President of the Senate under the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act.
Falana Seeks Court Order for Report Disclosure
Meanwhile, human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has instituted a suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to compel the Nigerian Senate to release a report detailing alleged financial discrepancies amounting to over N210 trillion in the audited accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/783/2026 and filed pursuant to the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2010, is asking the court to issue an order of mandamus directing the Nigerian Senate to immediately disclose the findings of its Committee on Public Accounts to the applicant and the Nigerian public. Falana stated that in a bid to promote transparency and accountability in the management of public resources, he formally applied for access to the committee's report via a letter dated March 13, 2026. The request, delivered to the Clerk of the Senate on March 16, 2026, was acknowledged but allegedly ignored, with no justification provided for the refusal. He is seeking, among other reliefs, a declaration that the Senate's refusal to release the report is unlawful and a breach of the FOI Act, as well as an order of mandamus compelling immediate disclosure of the requested information. No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
