The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu for allegedly failing to instruct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to collaborate with anti-corruption agencies in investigating the alleged mismanagement, diversion, or theft of over ₦57 billion in public funds from the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in 2021.
The allegations arise from the 2021 audit report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, which documented significant irregularities.
Lateef Fagbemi is named as a respondent in the case filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Lagos under suit number FHC/L/MISC/876/2024.
SERAP seeks a court order compelling President Tinubu to direct an investigation into the allegations, prosecute any implicated individuals, and recover the funds where evidence permits.
SERAP emphasised the necessity of accountability, stating, “Investigating the allegations and prosecuting those responsible for the missing ₦57 billion and recovering the funds would end the impunity of perpetrators.
”The organisation labelled the alleged misconduct as “stealing from the poor” and highlighted the public interest in ensuring justice.
The 2021 audit outlined various instances of financial mismanagement, including over ₦54 billion allocated for stipends to Batch C1 N-Power volunteers between August and December 2021 that was reportedly unaccounted for and ₦2.6 billion meant for the “home-grown school feeding program during Covid-19,” which allegedly was never executed.
Additional flagged expenditures include ₦78 million for a Covid-19 response survey, ₦39.5 million for “personal donations,” and ₦400 million in stipends for independent monitors.
The report also noted ₦287 million paid to contractors without proper documentation and discrepancies involving ₦729 billion currently under judicial review.
SERAP’s legal team, led by Kolawole Oluwadare and Oluwakemi Agunbiade, argued that granting their requested reliefs would help address corruption in government ministries and agencies while alleviating Nigeria’s budget and debt challenges.
The organisation cited provisions in the Nigerian Constitution and international conventions obligating the government to combat corrupt practices, calling for measures to ensure accountability and restitution for Nigerians impacted by the misuse of public funds.