The former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, has expressed shock and surprise over an arrest warrant issued against him by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts. ​
In a formal letter addressed to the committee and dated June 10, 2026, Kyari clarified his absence from the legislative hearing, explaining that he is currently outside the country receiving medical treatment. ​Kyari noted that the committee had been duly informed of his situation well in advance.
According to the former oil chief, a prior correspondence was sent to the lawmakers on May 8, 2026, and was officially acknowledged as received by the committee on May 11, 2026. ​”I am deeply surprised by the committee’s decision to issue an arrest warrant despite my previous communication explaining my unavoidable absence due to ongoing medical grounds abroad,” Kyari stated in the letter. ​
The Senate Committee on Public Accounts had ordered the arrest following Kyari’s failure to appear before it to answer critical questions regarding public accounts and NNPCL operations during his tenure. ​
With this new development, it remains unclear whether the Senate will rescind the warrant or insist on his appearance once he is cleared by his medical team.
