By Abubakar Haruna Muhammad (9News Nigeria, Northeast)
Mele Kyari, former group chief executive officer of NNPC Ltd., says he is shocked by the Senate’s arrest order.
He insists he never received any formal invitation from lawmakers probing the company’s finances.
In a letter dated June 8, 2026 and addressed to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Kyari said he only became aware of the directive through reports.
This was following an arrest order by the national assembly earlier.
The Senate Committee on Public Accounts had resolved to issue a warrant for his arrest, following repeated absence from the panel’s hearings.
Lawmakers said his appearance was needed to answer questions on financial records and liabilities over ₦210 trillion.
In the letter, Kyari stated he would have appeared before the committee willingly if served.
He explained that he is currently outside Nigeria receiving critical medical treatment.
Because of this, he cannot attend the committee’s proceedings in person.
He asked the committee to send any questions through his legal representatives.
He said this would allow him to provide prompt explanations and clarifications.
Kyari also defended his tenure at NNPC Ltd.
He said he and his management team turned the company from a loss-making entity into a profitable one.
According to him, all transactions during his time were properly recorded.
He added that the records remain available within NNPC Ltd. for verification.
The arrest directive sparked public debate after reports claimed security agencies were told to produce him “dead or alive”.
Kyari’s letter suggests his absence was not deliberate defiance.
He said it was due to his medical condition and lack of knowledge about any summons.
The Senate is yet to respond publicly to Kyari’s letter.
