Senate Voids Arrest Warrant Against Mele Kyari, Rebukes Oshiomhole Over NNPCL Comments

The Senate on Thursday nullified the decision of its Committee on Public Accounts to issue a warrant of arrest against former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, declaring that the panel lacked the legal authority to take such action.

The upper chamber also distanced itself from remarks attributed to Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who allegedly described the NNPCL as “a bunch of criminals and thieves” during a committee hearing on Wednesday.

The resolutions followed a motion raised under a point of order by Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who argued that both the committee’s action and Oshiomhole’s comments risked undermining the Senate’s credibility and commitment to due process.

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts had ordered the issuance of a warrant to compel Kyari to appear before it over unresolved audit queries involving about N210 trillion in NNPCL’s audited financial statements between 2017 and 2023.

However, Bamidele maintained that the committee exceeded its powers, stressing that under the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, only the President of the Senate has the authority to issue a warrant compelling the attendance of a witness before the Senate or any of its committees.

He warned that allowing committees to exercise such powers independently could create the impression that the Senate was acting outside the law.

The Senate Leader also faulted comments credited to Oshiomhole, saying they could be interpreted as a declaration of guilt against the NNPCL and its officials before the conclusion of any investigation or judicial process.

According to him, legislative investigations are intended to support oversight, accountability and lawmaking and should not be mistaken for criminal prosecution or judicial determination.

“The constitutional doctrine of fair hearing and the presumption of innocence require that no person or institution be adjudged guilty except by a court of competent jurisdiction after due process of law,” Bamidele said.

Contributing to the debate, Deputy Senate President Senator Barau Jibrin said the committee had clearly acted beyond its mandate.

He noted that the power to issue warrants rests with the Senate President and urged committees to operate within the limits of their statutory authority.

Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, cautioned lawmakers against making public statements capable of prejudicing ongoing investigations, while Senator Adamu Aliero described Oshiomhole’s remarks as inappropriate and damaging to the image of both the NNPCL and the Federal Government.

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu also urged greater restraint during committee proceedings, stressing the need to preserve public confidence in the objectivity of Senate investigations.

Following deliberations, the Senate resolved that the authority to issue warrants compelling the attendance of witnesses is vested exclusively in the President of the Senate in line with Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act.

It further directed all committees to refrain from issuing, authorising or executing warrants of arrest without the approval of the Senate President and in strict compliance with the law.

The Senate also formally dissociated itself from Oshiomhole’s comments on the NNPCL, clarifying that they do not represent the official position, findings or resolutions of the chamber.

Lawmakers reaffirmed the Senate’s commitment to due process, fair hearing, parliamentary objectivity and the presumption of innocence, emphasizing that the determination of criminal liability remains the exclusive responsibility of courts of competent jurisdiction.