The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has taken legal action against President Bola Tinubu over his alleged failure to prosecute contractors who received over N167bn from 31 ministries, departments, and agencies for projects that were never executed.
The lawsuit, filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Lagos (suit number FHC/L/MISC/121/2025), also listed the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, as a respondent.
This was detailed in a press release on Sunday titled, “SERAP Sues Tinubu Over Failure to Prosecute Contractors in N167bn Project Fraud in MDAs.”
The release, signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, urges the court to compel Tinubu to direct the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to publicly name the contractors involved and ensure their prosecution.
The organisation is also seeking a court order mandating Edun to publish details of the projects, including their locations, the amounts received by each contractor, and the identities of the shareholders.
“The allegations of corruption involving these contractors have continued to impair, obstruct, and undermine the access of poor Nigerians to essential public goods and services,” SERAP argued in its suit.
According to SERAP, the 2021 Audited Report by the Auditor-General of the Federation, published on November 13, 2024, revealed that 31 MDAs collectively paid over N167 billion for projects that were never carried out.
Notably, the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc. alone reportedly disbursed N100 billion to companies for unexecuted projects.
Other MDAs implicated 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 Gashua
Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs
SERAP maintained that allowing companies and contractors to walk away with public funds unpunished amounts to a grave violation of the Nigerian Constitution, anti-corruption laws, and international obligations under the United Nations Convention against Corruption.
“Holding these contractors accountable would help prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in public spending,” SERAP stated.
“The consequences of corruption are felt by citizens daily. It forces them to bear additional costs for health, education, and administrative services,” the suit added.
SERAP emphasised that public accountability is a hallmark of democracy and that Nigerians deserve full transparency on how their resources are managed.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the case.
