The Senate has directed the Police to arrest the chief executives of 30 firms, including Crown Flour Mills and Glo Mobile, for failing to appear before its committee probing national revenue loss.
The companies are alleged to have been involved in the N30 trillion revenue believed to have been lost by the country in its maritime sector.
The other companies are: British American Tobacco, CCECC, Dana Group, Olam International Limited, Hong Xing Steel Compaany Limited, Visafone, African Wire, Star Comments and Allied Limited and Aarti Steel Nigeria Limited.
Others are: Abyem-Diva International Limited, Gagasel International, Friesland Capina, Etco Nigeria, Edic Chemicals and Allied Distributors, De United Foods, Don Climax Group, Skill G Nigeria Limited, Premium Seafood and La Rauf Nigeria Limited.
Also involved are: Standard Metallurgical Company Limited, Kam Industries, IBG Investment Limited, Orazulike Trading Company Limited, Popular Foods Limited, A-Kelnal Integrated & Logistics Services, African Industries, African Tiles & Ceramics and ZTE Nigeria.
The Senate Joint Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff and Marine Transport, handling the investigation had invited 63 firms accused of complicity in the scam but only 33 honoured the invitation.
The order to arrest the companies’ officials was announced by Chairman of the committee, Senator Hope Uzodinma, at the committee’s meeting on Friday in Abuja.
He said the refusal of the officials to honour the invitation in spite of several reminders was disrespect for the National Assembly.
Uzodinma warned that the 8th Senate would not tolerate such behaviour from anybody or institution, particularly in the present situation that involved Federal Government funds.
According to him, investigations carried out by the joint committee showed several forms of infractions that have cost the country huge amount of money in revenue loss.
He said such development in a country currently in recession was a disservice to it.
Uzodinma said: “It is no longer going to be business as usual.
“We have directed the Nigeria Police to arrest the heads of the firms and bring them before us.
“If we can suspend our recess as lawmakers to see to the end of this investigation, I see no reason why the firms that have been indicted will not come to defend themselves.”
The chairman asked the firms that honoured the invitation to go through the documents given to them and return next week for defence.
The Senate had mandated the joint committee to carry out extensive investigation into alleged N30 trillion revenue leakages in the import and export value chain between 2006 and 2017.
The committee had already interfaced with commercial banks indicted in the matter as well as relevant government agencies.