SERAP urges President Tinubu to direct Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi and anti-corruption agencies to investigate and prosecute those implicated in the alleged N6 trillion embezzlement from the Niger Delta Development Commission.
In a letter dated July 5 and signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the group accused senior government officials and politicians of deliberately blocking the release of the forensic audit report, which it said contains damning evidence of large-scale corruption and mismanagement within the Commission.
SERAP called on the Tinubu administration to publish the long-delayed report, name and shame all those indicted, prosecute the offenders, recover stolen public funds, and ensure justice for the people of the Niger Delta, who it described as the primary victims of the scandal.
“Obstructing the release of the forensic audit report or hiding it is a grave and wilful attempt to obstruct, prevent and pervert the course of justice,” the letter stated.
The forensic audit, commissioned under former President Muhammadu Buhari, was meant to cover the NDDC’s financial activities and project execution from 2001 to August 2019. Despite costing Nigerian taxpayers N1.4 billion, SERAP said the report has been left to “gather dust,” allegedly to shield powerful figures from accountability.
Citing shocking details, SERAP alleged that:
A former minister’s wife was paid N48 billion in 12 months to “train Niger Delta women.”
Thousands of NDDC contracts were reportedly awarded to serving members of the National Assembly.
Over 13,000 projects initiated by the Commission remain abandoned across the Niger Delta.
SERAP lamented the Buhari administration’s failure to publish the audit and alleged it did so to protect complicit officials. The group now wants the Tinubu government to act decisively in restoring public confidence and upholding transparency.
“Your government has a constitutional responsibility to publish the report and act upon its findings,” the letter emphasized, warning that if no action is taken within seven days, SERAP will file a legal challenge at the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
The organization also demanded that any recovered funds be channeled into development efforts in the Niger Delta and that adequate compensation be provided to affected communities.