The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to immediately enforce a Federal High Court judgment ordering the publication of names implicated in the alleged misappropriation of N6 trillion linked to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
In a letter dated 13 December 2025, SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, warned that failure to comply within seven days could result in contempt proceedings. The organisation emphasised that non-enforcement undermines the rule of law, citing Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates all authorities to execute court decisions.
The judgment, delivered on 10 November 2025 by Justice Gladys Olotu in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1360/2021, directed President Bola Tinubu and the AGF to publish widely the names of individuals implicated in mismanaging funds for 13,777 projects between 2000 and 2019. It also ordered the release of the NDDC forensic audit report submitted to the government on 2 September 2021.
Justice Olotu ruled that both the report and the indicted names qualify as public records under Section 31 of the Freedom of Information Act, making them exempt from non-disclosure since they concern public funds. She noted that refusal to publish breached obligations under the FOI Act, the Constitution, and international transparency commitments.
The 2021 suit filed by SERAP stems from long-standing concerns over corruption in the NDDC, which was established to drive development in the oil-rich Niger Delta. The forensic audit, commissioned under former President Muhammadu Buhari, highlighted over 13,000 abandoned projects and pointed to allegations of widespread misappropriation.
SERAP argued that compliance would restore public confidence in the Tinubu administration’s anti-corruption efforts and address pressing Niger Delta issues such as poverty and infrastructure deficits. The organisation cited Supreme Court precedents emphasising that government compliance with court orders is essential to prevent anarchy.
