Senate summons ex-NNPCL MD, Mele Kyari over alleged ₦210trn missing from audit reports

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has summoned the former Group Managing-Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, to explain alleged ₦210 trillion flagged as not properly accounted for in audit reports of the company between 2017 and 2023.

Kyari was invited alongside the former Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajia Isa, and the former Group General-Manager of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services, Bala Wunti.

The Chairman of the committee, Hon. Aliyu Wadada, issued the summons on Thursday after lawmakers had reviewed financial audit reports concerning the national oil company.

He warned that the panel may issue warrant of arrest against the former officials if they fail to appear before the committee on a date that will be communicated to them.

Wadada said the former management team would appear before the committee together with the current leadership of the NNPCL led by the incumbent Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, as well as the company’s external auditors who handled its accounts during the period under review.

According to the senator, the committee is demanding explanations for ₦210 trillion identified in the audit report, which includes ₦103 trillion and ₦107 trillion said to be inadequately explained in the company’s financial records.

“When the two figures are combined, NNPCL needs to properly account for ₦210 trillion,” he said, noting that the committee had earlier sent 19 queries to the company but was dissatisfied with the responses received.

Lawmakers also questioned the reported ₦5 billion spent on changing the name of the former Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

“This to us in the committee is unacceptable, and satisfactory explanations must be given,” the committee stated, while recommending a forensic audit of the company’s financial statements by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation in line with the 1999 Constitution. Kyari led the national oil company from 2019 to 2025.