The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has initiated legal proceedings against President Bola Tinubu, accusing him of negligence in prosecuting contractors implicated in a N167 billion fraud involving unexecuted projects across 31 ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
The lawsuit, lodged last Friday in the Federal High Court in Lagos under case number FHC/L/MISC/121/2025, also names Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, as a respondent. This action was announced in a press release titled, “SERAP Sues Tinubu Over Failure to Prosecute Contractors in N167bn Project Fraud in MDAs,” signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
SERAP is urging the court to compel President Tinubu to instruct Finance Minister Wale Edun to publicly disclose the names of the contractors involved and to ensure their prosecution. Additionally, they are seeking an order for Edun to make public the specifics of these projects, including their locations, the sums paid to 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 stated in its legal document.
The 2021 Audited Report by the Auditor-General of the Federation, released on November 13, 2024, exposed that 31 MDAs disbursed over N167 billion for projects that were never executed. Among the agencies highlighted were:
Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc. (N100 billion)
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 argues that not prosecuting these contractors is a direct violation of the Nigerian Constitution, anti-corruption legislation, and international commitments under the UN Convention against Corruption.
“Holding these contractors accountable would help prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in public spending,” SERAP emphasized.
They further noted, “The consequences of corruption are felt by citizens daily. It forces them to bear additional costs for health, education, and administrative services.”
SERAP underscored that public accountability is fundamental to democracy, insisting that Nigerians deserve full transparency on how their resources are managed.
No hearing date has yet been scheduled for this case.