• Decides on killing by NDLEA, dismissal of WAEC official
• Reps commence probe of alleged diversion of student loans
For the umpteenth time, the Senate has mounted pressure on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), issuing a thunderous ultimatum over the corporation’s refusal to account for N210 trillion flagged in its audited financial statements.
In a powerful display of legislative resolve, it ruled on two emotional and high-stakes petitions; one involving the tragic killing of a two-year-old in Delta State by National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) operatives and the dismissal of a West African Examination Council (WAEC) employee over a scandalous exam fraud ring.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives, yesterday, commenced investigation into alleged fund diversions, non-compliance and unethical practices in the disbursement of the student loan scheme, warning that such issues could derail one of the country’s most significant education interventions.
In a dramatic session on Wednesday, the Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC) accused the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of NNPCL, Bayo Ojulari, of brazenly defying legislative oversight, ignoring multiple invitations, and treating constitutional authority with contempt.
The committee on June 26, 2025, issued a 10-working day ultimatum for the company to explain more than N210 trillion in audit discrepancies, described by lawmakers as potentially the most alarming financial irregularity in the nation’s petroleum history.
The ultimatum by the panel came after it gave the NNPCL management and auditors seven days grace to provide answers to 11 audit queries, which it failed.
Chairman of the Committee, Aliyu Wadada, a prominent voice on the committee said: “We are not pleading. We are done tolerating arrogance.
The NNPCL GCEO was summoned; not advised. If you are too big to respect the Constitution, then consider relocating. We have the power to summon, arrest, prosecute and expose.”
The Senate’s fury centred on what it described as glaring inconsistencies in NNPCL’s audited accounts, most notably, a N103 trillion accrued expense that remains unexplained, and asset declarations that “lack coherence and financial integrity.”
Wadada added: “We sit in plenary thrice weekly; we meet with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) constantly. For the GCEO of the country’s most strategic corporation to treat the Senate with disdain is unacceptable. This committee includes former governors, senior advocates, and public finance experts. We will not be undermined.”
One of the cases the Senate ruled on was a tragic case from July 13, 2023. The lawmakers, yesterday, called on President Bola Tinubu to approve N200 million in compensation for the Omhonria family whose two-year-old son, Onosereba, was killed by a stray NDLEA bullet during a drug raid at Abacha Junction, Okpanam, in Delta State.
The Senate’s resolution followed the adoption of a report by the Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, led by Neda Imasuen. The report confirmed that NDLEA officers fired the bullet that killed the toddler and critically injured his baby brother, Eromosele, whose eyesight now hangs in the balance.
Although NDLEA had offered N25 million and continues to support local medical treatment, Imasuen described the sum as grossly insufficient. “This is not just about money,” he said. “It’s about dignity, compassion and justice; N200 million is a fairer reflection of the pain this family has suffered.”
The Senate also directed NDLEA to continue funding Eromosele’s treatment, including potential overseas surgery and mandated its Compliance Committee to track implementation within six weeks.
Condemning the killing, Adams Oshiomhole said: “No amount of money can bring back a child. But we must make it clear: the uniform does not give you the right to go out and kill someone else’s child.”
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, added: “Our hearts are with the family. This Senate stands for life and accountability.”
In a separate but equally significant ruling, the Senate backed the dismissal of Ms Sandra Nimi Harry, a WAEC employee with 31 years of service, over her alleged role in a shameful exam malpractice scandal.
Harry, who headed the Scripts Room in WAEC’s Port Harcourt office, was found guilty of aiding fellow staffers in swapping exam answer sheets for absentee candidates. The manipulation came to light during a private candidates’ examination in 2023.
Though the Senate’s Ethics Committee initially recommended clemency, suggesting her dismissal be converted to retirement due to her clean record before the incident, the Senate roundly rejected the proposal.
The green chamber had, in May, mandated four of its standing committees to investigate alleged unethical practices surrounding the disbursement of student loans under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). This followed the adoption of a motion moved by a lawmaker representing Ikara/Kubau Federal Constituency, Aliyu Mustapha.
Speaking at the opening of a public hearing on the matter, Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, said the legislature would not allow the student loan programme to be compromised by administrative lapses, regulatory weaknesses, or deliberate abuse of process.
According to him, the credibility of the programme and the trust of the Nigerian people in public institutions are at stake.
He described the probe as both a constitutional obligation and a moral responsibility to protect young Nigerians whose educational future depends on the integrity of the scheme.
