House of Representatives Issues Arrest Warrant for Central Bank Governor and Officials Over Inquiry Evasion

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has taken a significant step in compelling the attendance of key financial figures, including the new Central Bank Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, and the Accountant General of the Federation, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Madein. The Committee issued an arrest warrant for them and 17 others due to their persistent refusal to respond to invitations aimed at addressing inquiries regarding their operational activities.

Chairman Micheal Irom presided over the decision to issue an arrest warrant as a consequence of the continued resistance by these individuals to honor the Committee’s invitations. The Inspector General of Police has been directed to ensure the appearance of these CEOs before the committee on December 14, facilitated through a warrant of arrest after Speaker Rep Tajudeen Abbas performs necessary procedural checks.

During the committee’s hearing, Fred Agbedi initiated a motion leading to the adoption of the arrest warrant. Agbedi emphasized that despite extending invitations on four separate occasions, these crucial figures failed to attend the hearings, compelling the Committee to take decisive action.

The petitioner, Mr. Fidelis Uzowanem, highlighted that the petition was based on the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) report of 2021, underscoring the importance and urgency of the matter at hand.