DistantNews
Support us
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Crime & Justice

Senate rules Kyari arrest warrant invalid, chides Oshiomhole

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • The Nigerian Senate declared that only the Senate President can authorize arrest warrants, not its committees.
  • The Senate distanced itself from Senator Adams Oshiomhole's remarks calling the NNPC a "bunch of criminals and thieves."
  • These resolutions followed a motion clarifying legislative powers after a committee recommended an arrest warrant for NNPC's former CEO, Mele Kyari.

The Nigerian Senate asserted its authority on Thursday, ruling that no committee possesses the power to issue or execute arrest warrants independently. Such actions require the explicit approval of the Senate President, according to a motion sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele.

The power to issue a warrant affecting the liberty of a citizen is an extraordinary statutory power which must be exercised strictly in accordance with the procedure prescribed by law.

— Opeyemi BamideleThe Senate Leader explained the strict legal requirements for issuing arrest warrants.

The upper chamber also officially distanced itself from comments made by Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who reportedly described the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) as "a bunch of criminals and thieves." Lawmakers condemned these remarks, emphasizing that individual opinions do not represent the Senate's official stance.

The constitutional doctrine of fair hearing and the presumption of innocence require that no person or institution be adjudged guilty except by a court of competent jurisdiction after due process of law.

— Opeyemi BamideleThe Senate Leader highlighted the principles of due process that must be followed.

This clarification came a day after the Senate Committee on Public Accounts allegedly recommended an arrest warrant for Mele Kyari, the immediate past Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, for failing to honor invitations. Senators argued that issuing arrest warrants is an extraordinary power that must strictly adhere to legal procedures, including fair hearing and the presumption of innocence.

Such statements, if left unclarified, may be misconstrued by the public as representing the official position of the Senate and may undermine confidence in the impartiality and objectivity of ongoing legislative oversight proceedings.

— Opeyemi BamideleThe Senate Leader warned about the potential public misinterpretation of individual senators' comments.

Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin supported the motion, reinforcing that committees are subordinate to the Senate and can only make recommendations. He stressed the importance of operating within the rules and the Constitution, stating that the committee had overstepped its bounds.

The committee overstepped its bounds, and he has done the right thing by drawing attention to it.

— Barau JibrinThe Deputy Senate President commented on the committee's actions.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog