The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu over his alleged failure to prosecute contractors who received more than N167 billion from 31 ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) for projects that were never executed.
The legal action, filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Lagos (suit number FHC/L/MISC/121/2025), also names the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, as a respondent.
In a press release issued on Sunday titled “SERAP Sues Tinubu Over Failure to Prosecute Contractors in N167bn Project Fraud in MDAs,” SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, outlined the organization’s request for the court to compel President Tinubu to direct the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to publicly disclose the names of the contractors involved and ensure their prosecution.
The lawsuit also seeks a court order for Edun to release detailed information about the projects, including their locations, the amounts disbursed to each contractor, and the identities of the contractors’ shareholders.
“The corruption allegations surrounding these contractors have hindered the access of many Nigerians, especially the poor, to critical public services,” SERAP argued in the 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 unexecuted projects. Notably, the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc. alone allegedly disbursed N100 billion to companies for projects that were never carried out.
Other MDAs implicated in the scandal 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 emphasized that allowing contractors to walk away with public funds without facing prosecution constitutes a serious violation of Nigeria’s Constitution, anti-corruption laws, and international obligations under the United Nations Convention against Corruption.
“Prosecuting these contractors would help prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in public spending,” SERAP stated. “The consequences of corruption are felt daily by citizens, who are forced to bear the brunt of increased costs in essential services like health and education.”
The organization further highlighted that public accountability is a cornerstone of democracy, and Nigerians deserve full transparency regarding the management of their resources.
The court has yet to set a date for the hearing of the case.
