NNPCL Probe Explodes: Oshiomhole Says Soldiers Don’t Scare, They Shoot!

_By Sam Agogo_

The Senate’s public hearing on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) yesterday stunned observers, as the ninth sitting of the probe into ₦210 trillion in unaccounted funds turned into a spectacle of sharp words, proverbs, and clashing perspectives.

Senator Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, never one to temper his delivery, branded the corporation “a house of thieves,” confronted former Chief Financial Officer Umar Ajiya, and demanded the arrest of former Group Managing Director Mele Kyari “dead or alive.

The committee had convened for the ninth time to address the Auditor‑General’s report covering 2017 to 2023. After eight previous sittings marked by absences and delays, frustration boiled over. When Ajiya suggested that many Nigerians aspire to have their children work at NNPCL, Oshiomhole retorted: “Yes, because it is a house of thieves and they want their children to benefit from it. You are all thieves!” The remark drew gasps from the audience, shifting the hearing from technical explanations to a broader moral confrontation.

He then invoked a proverb that cut through the noise: “The police often use their guns to scare people, but soldiers shoot directly.” It was a metaphor for decisive action, urging the Senate to move beyond warnings and take concrete steps. Turning to the absent Mele Kyari, Oshiomhole declared: “Dead or alive, Mele Kyari must be brought to us. If he is dead, we want to see the body. We now say here lies a man who died without accounting for his alleged crimes that rose to trillions of naira.”

The senator pressed further, questioning the circumstances of Kyari’s medical trip abroad. “Where did Mele Kyari get the funds to go for medical check‑up in Germany?” he asked. “If he claims to be sick, let him account for the money he used to travel. Nigerians are dying in local hospitals, yet he flies abroad with resources that should have been explained to this committee.”

Oshiomhole continued with another metaphor: “The law is effective when it catches a lion, not when you detain a man who steals a rabbit.” His point was clear — accountability must apply to the most powerful figures, not only to those at the margins. He urged the committee to act without delay: “This committee must have the courage and the will to deploy its powers… issue a warrant not tomorrow but today.”

The clash with Umar Ajiya nearly derailed proceedings, with tempers flaring until other senators intervened. Yet Oshiomhole’s words carried significant weight, and the committee resolved to issue a warrant of arrest for Mele Kyari, intensifying the probe into trillions of naira in unaccounted funds.

Still, the hearing was not one‑sided. Senator Tony Nwoye told the committee that he had personally spoken to Mele Kyari only a week earlier. “I spoke to Mele Kyari; that was a week ago; he promised that he would be here. But incidentally, I learnt last night that the man is hospitalised in Germany,” Nwoye said. He added: “I am not holding brief for Mele Kyari. I am duty‑bound to bring this information to the committee. The decision on whether to issue a warrant of arrest is entirely for this committee to make.” His intervention introduced a note of caution, suggesting that Kyari’s absence might indeed be due to medical reasons.

Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi opposed Nwoye’s remarks, insisting that Kyari’s repeated absence showed disregard for the Senate. “You are not Kyari’s lawyer!” Nwebonyi shot back, seconding the motion for arrest and reminding colleagues that Kyari had ignored invitations nine times.

Senator Victor Umeh moved the motion for arrest, declaring: “Kyari should be here; we cannot wait for him to appear before us at his convenience. It is a national emergency that Mele Kyari should cut short his trip anywhere in the world and return home.”

Senator Babangida Hussaini added his perspective, stressing that excuses must not weaken oversight. He urged the committee to verify claims of illness but warned that accountability must not be paralyzed by repeated delays. “We must balance fairness with firmness,” Hussaini said, “but Nigerians expect us to act, not to wait endlessly.”

Committee Chairman Ibrahim Dankwambo brought the matter to a close with a decisive ruling: “Anywhere Mele Kyari is, he should be arrested and brought before this committee.”

The ninth sitting thus became a stage where competing voices clashed — some calling for restraint, others demanding immediate action. While auditors will continue to examine figures and documents, the hearing will be remembered for the language that reframed the debate. Oshiomhole’s remarks were not couched in technical jargon but delivered with imagery and urgency, demanding that Nigeria’s institutions stop scaring and start acting.

Yesterday’s probe, the ninth in a long‑running saga, left Nigerians reflecting on whether this would be another case of warnings without consequence, or the moment when the system finally takes decisive steps against corruption.

_For comments, reflections, and further conversation, email: samuelagogo4one@yahoo.com or call +2348055847364._