Mele Kyari Appears Before Senate Committee as Probe into Alleged ₦210 Trillion NNPCL Financial Discrepancies Intensifies.
Former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, has appeared before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts as lawmakers continue investigating alleged financial irregularities and unresolved audit queries involving the national oil company.
Kyari’s appearance before the committee in Abuja on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, marks another significant development in the Senate’s efforts to obtain explanations from former NNPCL executives over financial records covering the 2017–2023 period.
The investigation centres on alleged financial discrepancies amounting to approximately ₦210 trillion, which the committee says were identified during its examination of the company’s audited financial statements and reports from the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation.
Senate Raises Questions Over NNPCL Financial Records
The committee’s investigation has focused on several questionable entries in the company’s financial statements, including ₦103 trillion recorded as accrued expenses in its 2022 accounts and ₦107 trillion reported as sundry receivables as of December 2023.
Lawmakers have questioned the explanations provided by the company’s management, particularly the absence of sufficiently detailed breakdowns supporting some of the figures.
The committee has also raised concerns about alleged duplication of petroleum subsidy deductions amounting to ₦3.8 trillion, alongside other issues requiring clarification.
The figures represent allegations and unresolved audit concerns under legislative examination, rather than a judicial determination that the funds were stolen or misappropriated.
Investigation Follows Earlier Summons and Senate Disagreement
The Senate’s inquiry began following concerns raised during its review of NNPCL’s financial records and audit reports. In March 2026, the Public Accounts Committee summoned Kyari and other former senior officials, including former Chief Financial Officer Umar Ajiya Isa and former NNPCL executive Bala Wunti.
In June, the committee ordered Kyari’s arrest after he failed to honour an earlier invitation. However, the Senate subsequently distanced itself from the committee’s arrest order, citing concerns about due process, procedural fairness and the need to avoid prejudging the investigation.
The development highlighted the importance of balancing legislative oversight with the constitutional rights of individuals appearing before investigative panels.
Accountability Questions Surround Nigeria’s Oil Sector
The investigation carries wider implications for transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s petroleum industry, which remains central to government revenue, foreign exchange earnings and the country’s broader economic stability.
As the national oil company underwent restructuring and commercialisation, questions surrounding financial reporting, subsidy deductions, outstanding liabilities and revenue management have attracted considerable public attention.
Kyari’s appearance provides the committee with an opportunity to seek further explanations from the former management and establish whether the disputed financial entries can be properly reconciled.
The outcome of the investigation could influence public confidence in NNPCL’s financial management and reinforce calls for stronger accountability mechanisms across Nigeria’s extractive industries.
For now, the central issue remains whether the former management can adequately address the audit concerns and provide documentary explanations that satisfy the Senate’s Public Accounts Committee.
The investigation is ongoing, and any conclusions about individual responsibility should be based on verified evidence and established legal procedures.