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FULL LIST: IGP Egbetokun, Cardoso, Kyari among top Tinubu officials at risk of arrest

L-R: Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) Mele Kyari, and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Yemi Cardoso. [Facebook]
L-R: Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) Mele Kyari, and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Yemi Cardoso. [Facebook]

The Nigerian Senate has issued a stern warning to high-ranking government officials, including Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Yemi Cardoso, and Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) Mele Kyari, over their continued failure to honour invitations for audit-related inquiries.

The Senate’s Public Accounts Committee (SPAC), chaired by Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada, declared on Tuesday, February 4, that it would issue arrest warrants if the officials continued to ignore its summons.

The committee is investigating several audit reports from the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (AuGF) and has repeatedly invited the officials to defend queries against them.

Also at risk of arrest are the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, and the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi.

Wadada revealed that the FIRS CEO has ignored eight invitations, while NNPCL has never appeared before the committee.

“This is unacceptable. Nobody in Nigeria is above the law. If President Bola Ahmed Tinubu can appear before the National Assembly to present the budget, I wonder how an appointee can think he is too busy to honour an invitation,” Wadada stated.

Wadada emphasised that repeated refusals to cooperate with the legislative process are an affront to the National Assembly and an insult to President Tinubu’s administration.

Demand for arrest of Tinubu's top officials

President Bola Tinubu. [Getty Images]

He declared that officials who fail to appear will face arrest and risk losing their positions.

“From today, whoever refuses to appear before this committee will have a warrant of arrest issued against them. We will also call on the President to disengage any official who does not share in his dream of making Nigeria a better place,” Wadada warned.

The committee is particularly displeased with the FIRS chairman’s continued defiance.

“We have sent more than eight invitations to the FIRS chairman, yet he has refused to appear or even acknowledge our communications. If he truly believes in the Renewed Hope Agenda, why is he avoiding scrutiny?” Wadada questioned.

NNPCL's Kyari on the edge

Mele Kyari, chief executive officer of NNPC Co. Ltd. [Getty Images]

Regarding NNPCL, Wadada noted that the company has failed to provide satisfactory responses to queries raised by the Senate.

“NNPCL’s management has never appeared before this committee. The few responses we have received from them are vague and insufficient. The next time they ignore an invitation, we will issue a warrant of arrest,” he declared.

Similarly, the NCS is under scrutiny for billions of naira in unaccounted funds flagged in the Auditor-General’s report.

“We have tried repeatedly to engage the NCS, but they remain unresponsive. If this continues, we will have no choice but to take legal action,” Wadada warned.

The committee’s ultimatum sets the stage for a potential showdown between the legislature and the top officials who continue to evade accountability.

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