Senator Adams Oshiomhole has called for the immediate arrest of former Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, over allegations that trillions of naira remain unaccounted for during his tenure.
Speaking during a heated session of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts on Wednesday, the former Edo State governor accused the state-owned oil company of having a reputation for fraud and described it as a “house of thieves.”
Oshiomhole argued that the committee must exercise its constitutional powers to ensure accountability, insisting that no public official should be above the law. He maintained that allegations involving trillions of naira required urgent action and urged lawmakers to issue an arrest warrant for Kyari without delay.
The senator also questioned Kyari’s absence from the committee’s proceedings and rejected the idea of representation, stressing that the former NNPCL boss must personally account for decisions made while leading the company.
Backing the motion, Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi said Kyari had repeatedly failed to honour invitations from the committee despite several sittings on the matter. He argued that the former NNPCL chief’s continued absence showed disregard for the Senate and the allegations against him.
The lawmakers further criticised both former and current NNPCL leadership for failing to appear before the committee, insisting that accountability must apply equally to all public officials.
The calls for Kyari’s arrest come amid growing scrutiny of the management of public funds in Nigeria’s oil sector and ongoing investigations into claims that trillions of naira were not properly accounted for during his tenure at the national oil company.
