Nigeria’s upper legislative chamber on Tuesday dramatically escalated its probe into the finances of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), ordering a warrant of arrest against former Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, while a parallel hearing descended into heated exchanges over allegations of unaccounted funds exceeding N210 trillion contained in the company’s audited financial statements.

The twin developments underscored growing tensions between lawmakers and former officials of the national oil company as senators intensified scrutiny of audit reports covering the period from 2017 to 2023.

At the centre of the controversy are audit observations forwarded to the Senate Public Accounts Committee from the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation, which lawmakers say contain unresolved financial entries and discrepancies valued at over N210 trillion.

The committee, chaired by Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, resolved to invoke its constitutional powers after repeated invitations issued to Kyari were allegedly ignored.

The decision followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Senator Victor Umeh, who argued that the committee could no longer tolerate continued delays in an investigation involving what lawmakers described as one of the largest financial accountability exercises ever undertaken by the National Assembly.

“This matter has lingered for too long. Nigerians deserve answers. The committee cannot continue to wait indefinitely while critical questions concerning trillions of naira remain unanswered,” Umeh said.

The motion received overwhelming support from committee members but not before triggering one of the most dramatic moments of the hearing.

Backing the proposal, former Edo State Governor and senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, argued that Parliament risked diminishing its own authority if it failed to enforce compliance with its summons.

“Some people believe they are bigger than Nigeria. The law must be effective when it catches the lion, not only when it catches the rabbit,” Oshiomhole declared.

In remarks that immediately stirred controversy within the hearing room, Oshiomhole urged the committee to act without delay.

“This committee must have the courage and the will to deploy its powers and issue a warrant of arrest—not tomorrow, but today. Bring Mele Kyari here, dead or alive. These are allegations involving trillions of naira at a time Nigerians are suffering and the country is borrowing heavily,” he said.

His comments heightened tensions already building around the committee’s frustration with the pace of the investigation.

The atmosphere became even more charged when Senator Tony Nwoye attempted to explain Kyari’s absence.

According to Nwoye, he had personally spoken with the former NNPCL boss and was informed that he was undergoing medical treatment in Germany.

“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 told the committee.

Before he could conclude, Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi interrupted sharply, accusing him of appearing to defend the former NNPCL chief.

“You are not Kyari’s lawyer!” Nwaebonyi fired back.

The exchange briefly threw proceedings into disorder as lawmakers argued over whether Kyari’s reported medical condition should affect the committee’s decision to issue a warrant.

Nwoye denied acting on behalf of the former NNPCL boss.

“I am not holding brief for Mele Kyari. I am duty-bound to bring this information to the committee. The decision on whether to issue a warrant of arrest is entirely for this committee to make,” he said.

The committee ultimately voted overwhelmingly in favour of issuing the warrant.

However, the day’s proceedings took an even more dramatic turn during a separate session involving former NNPCL Chief Finance Officer, Bala Ajiya, who appeared before lawmakers to respond to issues arising from the audited accounts.

Ajiya mounted a vigorous defence of the company’s financial records and rejected suggestions that funds were missing.

Addressing lawmakers, he insisted that reports suggesting N210 trillion had disappeared from the corporation’s books were fundamentally flawed and based on a misunderstanding of accounting entries.

“There is no money missing,” he told the committee.

According to him, the figures that generated public controversy arose largely from accounting treatments involving different entities within the NNPCL structure and had been wrongly interpreted as evidence of missing funds.

Ajiya also dismissed claims that N5.8 billion was used to register the new NNPCL, arguing that the actual amount involved was N2.9 billion paid directly to government agencies, including the Corporate Affairs Commission and the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

He maintained that all transactions were properly recorded and verifiable.

Seeking to defend the company’s reputation, Ajiya argued that NNPCL under his watch had pursued transparency by publishing audited accounts and opening its books to public scrutiny.

But his remarks soon provoked a fierce reaction from Oshiomhole.

Tension rose after Ajiya suggested that many Nigerians sought employment opportunities in NNPCL and appeared to imply that public criticism of the organisation was often influenced by perceptions surrounding access to its resources.

The comments infuriated Oshiomhole, who accused the former finance chief of attempting to lecture lawmakers rather than answer audit queries.

The senator reminded Ajiya that the committee was examining findings contained in reports prepared by auditors and transmitted through the Auditor-General’s office, not allegations manufactured by senators.

In one of the most explosive exchanges of the hearing, Oshiomhole bluntly rejected Ajiya’s defence and declared that NNPCL’s reputation had been severely damaged by years of corruption allegations.

At one point, he described officials of the corporation as “thieves,” triggering uproar within the hearing room.

The confrontation forced Chairman Dankwambo to repeatedly intervene in an effort to restore order.

Dankwambo reminded participants that the committee’s work was guided strictly by audit reports and not by speculation.

He also clarified that previous committee findings had referred to “unexplained figures” rather than outright declarations that money had been stolen.

As tempers cooled, Senator Abdul Ningi also cautioned against personal attacks and urged cooperation between former management officials and lawmakers in resolving the issues raised by auditors.

Ningi argued that the committee’s responsibility was to establish facts and ensure accountability rather than engage in public recriminations.

Facing mounting criticism over his comments, Ajiya eventually apologised to the committee.

“Mr Senator, I apologise for my utterances,” he said, while maintaining that no funds were missing from the corporation.

Another official chief Upstream officer of NNPC upstream Bala Wunti who appeared before the committee indicated that he did not receive invitation for the probe, pointing out that he came because Senator Ningi alerted him.He requested to be given ample time to go through the report to be able to respond.

He was given two weeks by the committee.

The committee also resolved to set up a committee to investigate why the invitation was not extended to him.

The committee subsequently stepped down consideration of his report pending further review by members.

Tuesday’s dramatic proceedings reflected the growing significance of the Senate’s investigation into the finances of the state-owned oil company and highlighted the deep divisions over how to interpret the audit findings.

With a warrant now issued against Kyari and lawmakers insisting that former and current NNPCL officials must account for unresolved entries running into trillions of naira, the investigation appears set to enter a more confrontational phase.

For many observers, the central question remains whether the disputed figures represent accounting irregularities requiring clarification or evidence of deeper governance failures within Nigeria’s most strategic public enterprise.

The answer may ultimately determine not only the outcome of the Senate probe but also public confidence in the transparency and accountability of the country’s oil sector.