₦167 Billion Project Fraud: SERAP Drags Tinubu To Court

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his failure to order the prosecution of contractors who allegedly collected over ₦167 billion from 31 ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) without executing any projects.

In a statement sent to Naija News on Sunday, SERAP disclosed that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), is also listed as a respondent in the case.

Filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday under Suit No. FHC/L/MISC/121/2025, SERAP seeks a court order compelling President Tinubu to:

1. Direct the AGF to prosecute all companies and contractors who received public funds for projects that were never executed.

2. Instruct the Minister of Finance, Olawale Edun, to publish the names of all contractors and companies involved in the fraud.

3. Disclose details of the projects, including their locations, amounts received, and shareholders of the companies involved.

SERAP’s legal team, led by Kolawole Oluwadare and Oluwakemi Agunbiade, argues that:

• The massive corruption scandal undermines public access to essential services, such as healthcare and education.
• Holding the contractors accountable would curb waste, fraud, and abuse of public funds.
• Shielding corrupt entities from prosecution violates the Nigerian Constitution (1999 as amended), anti-corruption laws, and international obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption.

SERAP emphasized that Nigeria’s democratic governance depends on public accountability, stating: “The accountability of government to the general public is a hallmark of democratic governance, which Nigeria seeks to practice.”

According to the 2021 Annual Audit Report by the Auditor-General of the Federation, published on November 13, 2024, the 31 MDAs paid ₦167,592,177,559.40 to companies for unexecuted projects.

Key highlights from the report:

The Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc. (NBET) alone allegedly paid ₦100 billion to companies for projects that were never completed.

Other affected MDAs include:

Nigerian Correctional Service

National Pension Commission, Abuja

Federal College of Land Resources Technology, Owerri

Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) Office

Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF)

Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development

Federal Medical Centre, Bida, Niger State

National Centre for Women Development

Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution

National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB)

Federal University of Gasua

Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs

SERAP maintains that transparency is key to accountability, urging the government to disclose all information related to these fraudulent contracts.

“Nigerians have the right to democratic governance, to influence government decisions, and to assess progress while holding officials accountable,” SERAP stated.

Naija News reports that the court has yet to fix a hearing date for the case.