Senate Rebukes Oshiomhole Over NNPCL 'House of Thieves' Remark

In a dramatic turn of events, the Senate has publicly distanced itself from Senator Adams Oshiomhole's scathing comments, in which he described the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) as a 'house of thieves.' This controversy unfolded during a heated session of the Senate Public Accounts Committee, where the committee is currently probing allegations of misappropriation of trillions of naira within the state-owned oil firm. The confrontation began when Umar Ajiya, the former Chief Financial Officer of NNPCL, alleged that certain public officials were exerting pressure on the company to employ their children. Reacting to this assertion, Oshiomhole launched a fierce attack, stating that NNPCL lacks a credible reputation and that officials seeking employment for their children merely want their families to benefit from institutional financial crimes. As he put it, 'I heard you saying that people want their children to be employed in NNPC, that is because it is a house of thieves and they want their children to benefit from it. NNPC has no reputation, your reputation is for fraud. How can you sit down here and say people want their children employed in NNPC? So you think we are joking here?' Oshiomhole's comments sparked a heated debate on social media, with a wide range of reactions. During a plenary session on Thursday, June 11, 2026, the upper legislative chamber explicitly clarified that the Edo State lawmaker's comments represent his personal opinion and do not reflect the official position, resolution, findings, or determination of the Senate as an institution. Lawmakers strongly criticized Oshiomhole's statements, characterizing them as an unwarranted and unprofessional attack on the character of public officers. High-ranking legislators, including Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro, cautioned the former Edo State governor against making defamatory remarks that could undermine the integrity of public institutions, with several colleagues demanding that Oshiomhole publicly withdraw his statement. Furthermore, the Senate withdrew the warrant of arrest the Committee on Public Accounts had issued against former Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPCL, Mele Kyari, over an alleged failure to honor legislative invitations.