The Senate has formally dissociated itself from the warrant of arrest issued by its Committee on Public Accounts against former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mallam Mele Kyari, over an ongoing investigation into an alleged N210 trillion discrepancy in the corporation's accounts.

The upper legislative chamber clarified on Thursday that no Senate committee has the authority to independently issue, authorise, or execute a warrant of arrest without complying with the provisions of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act and obtaining the approval of the President of the Senate.

The Senate also distanced itself from comments reportedly made by Senator Adams Oshiomhole during the committee's proceedings, in which he allegedly described the NNPC as a "bunch of criminals and thieves."

The controversy stems from a decision by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, chaired by Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo (PDP, Gombe North), which on Wednesday ordered Kyari's arrest following his failure to appear before the panel investigating alleged unaccounted funds amounting to N210 trillion between 2017 and 2023.

The warrant was issued during an investigative hearing in Abuja after the former NNPC chief failed to attend the session convened by the committee.

Raising the matter during Thursday's plenary, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central) invoked Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Rules and urged the chamber to clarify the limits of the committee's powers.

Bamidele argued that, under Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, the authority to compel the attendance of witnesses before the Senate or any of its committees is vested solely in the President of the Senate.

According to him, no committee possesses the legal authority to independently issue, approve, or enforce a warrant of arrest.

Following deliberations, the Senate resolved that all committees must operate strictly within the confines of the law and established parliamentary procedures, particularly in matters relating to the issuance of warrants.

Meanwhile, Senator Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) defended his remarks during the hearing after concerns were raised over his choice of words. The former Edo State governor maintained that his comments were made in response to what he perceived as attempts to undermine the integrity of the Senate and its investigative process.

The investigation into the alleged N210 trillion discrepancy in NNPC's accounts is ongoing, with further developments expected in the coming days.