Nigeria’s Senate has ordered the arrest of the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, following his alleged refusal to appear before lawmakers despite repeated summons.
The directive was issued on Thursday by the Senate Committee on Finance during a budget defence session involving officials of the Federal Ministry of Finance and its affiliated agencies.
Chairman of the committee, Sani Musa, accused the CAC chief of showing persistent disregard for legislative oversight, stating that several invitations extended to him to clarify financial matters concerning the commission were ignored. According to the committee, Magaji repeatedly delegated junior officials instead of appearing personally to address concerns relating to revenue reconciliation and financial accountability.
The issue was first raised during the session by committee member Orji Uzor Kalu, who urged lawmakers to recommend Magaji’s removal from office to President Bola Tinubu over what he described as non-compliance with legislative authority.
Another member of the panel, Adams Oshiomhole, proposed that the commission’s budgetary allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act should be withheld until the Registrar-General appears before the committee. Lawmakers also supported a motion to restrict the CAC from spending its Internally Generated Revenue without prior approval from the National Assembly.
The development underscored growing tensions between the legislature and government agencies over accountability and compliance with parliamentary oversight, raising concerns about potential implications for corporate regulation and business administration if the dispute remains unresolved.
