Nigerian lawmakers issue arrest warrant on Cardoso, Accountant General, 17 oil firms CEOs

Tamarauemi Ebimini

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has issued a warrant of arrest on the Central Bank Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, for refusing to appear before it to answer questions on the oil sector.

The committee also ordered the arrest of the Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, and 17 others.

Among the 17 to be arrested are the heads of National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), Ethiop Eastern Exploration and Production Company Ltd, and Western Africa Exploration and Production.

Others are heads of Alteo Eastern E&P Co. Ltd., First Exploration & Production Ltd., The Md, First E&P Oml 8385 Jv, Heirs Holdings Oil and Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (Mpnu).

Also listed are Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Total Exploration & Producing Nig (TEPN), Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC), Pan Ocean Oil Nig, Ltd, Newcross E&P Ltd and Frontier Oil Ltd.

The decision was taken on Tuesday during the sitting of the committee while considering a petition filed by one Fidelis Uzowanem.

The Chairman of the Committee, Michael Etaba (APC, Cross River), said Mr Cardoso and others have refused to honour its invitations.

Subsequently, a member of the committee, Fred Agbedi (PDP, Bayelsa), moved the motion to issue the warrant of arrest.

Mr Agbedi said the concerned persons should be made to appear before the committee on 14 December.

The motion was adopted by the committee, which ordered the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to execute the warrant.

Afterwards, Mr Etaba explained that the warrant is to compel the concerned individuals to appear before it to respond to the issues raised in the petition.