Arrest Warrant Issued for CBN Governor, Accountant General of the Federation, and Others

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petition has taken a decisive step by issuing arrest warrants for key figures, including the Central Bank Governor, the Accountant General of the Federation, and 17 others. This action follows their repeated failure to honor invitations to address queries about their operations.

This significant decision emerged during Tuesday’s committee session after a motion presented by Rep. Fred Agbedi (PDP-Bayelsa). He highlighted the imperative nature of these warrants due to the persistent non-responsiveness of the invited individuals, despite being summoned on four occasions.

Committee Chairman Rep. Michael Irom (APC-Cross River) reinforced this stance by directing the Inspector General of Police to ensure the CEOs’ compulsory appearance before the committee on December 14.

The basis for this stern action was a petition submitted by Mr. Fidelis Uzowanem, rooted in the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) report of 2021. Uzowanem contended that the report unveiled systemic fraud within the oil and gas sector.

Citing specific instances of alleged malpractice, including cash payments to non-crude-producing companies, Uzowanem accused NNPCL of misusing cash core payments for financial irregularities.

“The NEITI report revealed a disturbing pattern of concealed transactions and unlawful practices within NNPCL, with funds transferred to companies not involved in crude oil production,” remarked Uzowanem. He emphasized that such transactions amounted to fraudulent activity, evident in the NEITI report’s discrepancies in payments received by companies like Total Exploration and Production Nigeria-Ltd and Chevron.

The committee further intensified its actions by issuing arrest warrants for the CEOs of NAPIMS, Ethiop Eastern Exploration and Production Company Ltd, and Western Africa Exploration and Production. These steps signify the gravity of the committee’s determination to scrutinize and rectify alleged financial misconduct within the sector.