The Senate has withdrawn the arrest warrant earlier issued against former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, and dissociated itself from comments made by Senator Adams Oshiomhole describing the company as “a bunch of criminals and thieves.”
The decision was announced on Thursday during the ongoing investigation by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts into the financial records and transactions of the NNPCL.
The committee, chaired by Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, had initially resolved to invoke its constitutional powers after Kyari repeatedly failed to honour invitations to appear before lawmakers. The move followed a motion sponsored by Senator Victor Umeh, who insisted that Nigerians deserved answers regarding questions surrounding trillions of naira in NNPCL transactions.
During the hearing, Senator Tony Nwoye informed the committee that Kyari was currently receiving medical treatment in Germany, explaining that the former NNPCL chief had earlier promised to appear before the panel.
“I spoke to Mele Kyari about a week ago. He promised that he would be here. But incidentally, I learned last night that the man is hospitalized in Germany,” Nwoye said.
His statement sparked a heated exchange with Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, who accused him of defending Kyari. Nwaebonyi told Nwoye, “You are not Kyari’s lawyer,” leading to a brief disruption of proceedings.
Nwoye, however, denied acting on behalf of the former NNPCL boss, maintaining that he was only providing information about Kyari’s absence.
Following deliberations, the Senate committee decided to vacate the arrest warrant while continuing its investigation into the affairs of the NNPCL.
