By Seyi Odewale
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently publish the long-suppressed forensic audit report on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and prosecute those allegedly obstructing its release to cover up massive corruption.
In a letter dated July 5 and signed by SERAP Deputy Director. Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation, urged President Tinubu to instruct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to immediately investigate high-ranking government officials and politicians accused of deliberately suppressing the audit findings, which reportedly uncovered the misappropriation of over ₦6trn and more than 13,000 abandoned projects in the oil-rich Niger Delta region between 2000 and 2019.
“The audit report can no longer be left to gather dust. The continued failure to publish it undermines public trust, particularly for the victims of corruption in the Niger Delta who have waited far too long for justice and accountability,” SERAP stated.
The organisation stressed that obstructing the release of the audit amounts to a “grave and willful attempt to pervert the course of justice.”
It also accused the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari of suppressing the report to shield influential individuals, including a former minister’s wife who allegedly collected ₦48 billion within a year for dubious empowerment contracts.
SERAP warned that if the Tinubu administration fails to act within seven days of receiving the letter, it would take legal action at the ECOWAS Court of Justice to compel the government to publish the report and prosecute those responsible.
Highlighting the constitutional and international obligations of the Nigerian government, SERAP cited Sections 15(5) of the 1999 Constitution and Articles 25 and 26 of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), which mandate action against corruption and interference in justice processes.
“The Buhari administration reportedly approved ₦1.4 billion for the forensic auditors, yet four years after the report was submitted in September 2021, it remains buried,” the letter noted. “If nothing is done, it will confirm fears that the audit was merely a ruse to delay accountability.”
The group stated that the alleged diversion of trillions of naira has had devastating consequences for access to education, healthcare, electricity, and other essential services in the region, fueling poverty and underdevelopment despite the area’s vast oil wealth.
SERAP emphasised that publishing the report, naming those indicted, recovering stolen funds, and compensating victims would send a strong message that corruption will no longer be tolerated and help restore public confidence in the government’s anti-corruption fight.
“This is not just about punishing the corrupt,” the group argued, “but about ensuring justice, repairing systemic failures, and breaking the cycle of impunity that has plagued the NDDC and the region for decades.”
