The Senate has distanced itself from the arrest warrant issued by its Committee on Public Accounts against the immediate Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari. The chamber also condemned uncomplimentary comments by Senator Adams Oshiomhole describing NNPCL as “a bunch of criminals and thieves”.
The repudiation followed a motion by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele on a point of order on urgent national importance. Bamidele said the Senate had to protect its institutional integrity, ensure adherence to the Legislative Houses’ Powers and Privileges Act and protect fair hearing and due process.
The controversy broke on Wednesday when the Public Accounts Committee headed by Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo resumed its investigation into queries raised against NNPCL by the Auditor General of the Federation in audit reports for the years 2017 to 2023. At the session with the former NNPCL management, the committee had resolved to issue an arrest warrant against Kyari.
He also made negative comments about the NNPCL at same session by the committee member Senator Oshiomole. He said the company was “a bunch of criminals and thieves” and the previous management team had been interrogated.
However, the Senate in plenary session within 24 hours disassociated itself from both the action of the committee and the comments of Oshiomhole, saying they did not reflect the position of the institution.
Bamidele told the Senate that any committee conducting oversight under Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution must do so in accordance with natural justice, fairness, objectivity, parliamentary responsibility and respect for the rule of law.
“Although the Senate has broad investigative and oversight powers, such powers must be exercised in a manner that does not create the appearance of bias, prejudice, prejudgment or predetermined conclusions about any person or institution being investigated,” he said.
He submitted, inter alia, that the warrant of arrest issued against Kyari was replete with procedural irregularities and should be nullified. He also called on the Senate to discountenance Oshiomhole’s description of NNPCL.
“Such procedural irregularities may expose Senate proceedings to avoidable legal challenges and diminish public confidence in the institution,” warned Bamidele. He said any comments that imply guilt before the conclusion of the investigations are prejudicial to the proceedings.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, Senate Whip Tahir Monguno, Senator Adamu Aliero who called Oshiomhole’s statement reckless and Senator Orji Uzor Kalu who moved that Oshiomhole withdraw the statement all threw their weight behind the motion.
Reacting, Oshiomhole said he made the comments under duress caused by equally uncomplimentary remarks against the Senate and senators by the former NNPCL Chief Financial Officer, Alhaji Umar Ajiya, during the investigative hearing.
In its resolution, the Senate has officially distanced itself from Oshiomhole’s claim that the NNPCL was “a bunch of criminals and thieves” and said the comments did not represent the official position or resolve of the Senate.
The chamber also dismissed the purported arrest warrant issued by the Public Accounts Committee on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, against Mele Kyari.
