The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has ordered the arrest of former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, for failing to appear before it over allegations of an unaccounted ₦210 trillion between 2017 and 2023.

The decision followed Kyari’s absence at an investigative hearing into financial queries raised by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation. While some lawmakers urged the committee to grant him another opportunity to appear, citing reports that he was receiving medical treatment in Germany, the committee rejected the appeal and adopted a motion for his arrest.

Committee Chairman, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, subsequently directed that Kyari be apprehended and brought before the panel.

Meanwhile, former NNPCL Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajiya Isa, dismissed claims that ₦210 trillion was missing, arguing that the company generated only about ₦54.5 trillion in revenue during the period under review.

He also rejected allegations that NNPCL spent ₦5.8 billion on its registration, describing the claim as false and damaging.

The committee directed Ajiya and former Chief Upstream Investment Officer, Bala Wunti, to reappear before it in two weeks as investigations continue.