In a landmark ruling delivered on November 10, 2025, by Justice Gladys Olotu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, President Bola Tinubu has been directed to immediately order the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to publicly disclose the full Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) forensic audit report—submitted to the federal government on September 2, 2021—and the names of all individuals indicted in the alleged misappropriation of over N6 trillion allocated for 13,777 abandoned projects and the commission’s operations from 2000 to 2019. The court issued orders of mandamus compelling this transparency, emphasizing that the report and indicted names qualify as “public records” under Section 31 of the Freedom of Information Act and are not exempt from disclosure under Sections 11-19, as they pertain to the management of public funds.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), which filed the suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/1360/2021) in November 2021, hailed the judgment as a victory for public accountability. In a follow-up letter dated November 22, 2025, to President Tinubu, SERAP urged swift compliance, warning that failure to act could undermine the rule of law and perpetuate impunity in the handling of Niger Delta development funds. SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, stated: “This landmark judgment upholds the public’s right to know exactly what happened to the N6 trillion oil money documented in the NDDC forensic audit report.”
Key Details from the Ruling and Audit
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Audit Scope | Forensic review of NDDC operations (2000-2019), covering N6 trillion in budgetary allocations and statutory/non-statutory income for 13,777 projects, many of which remain abandoned. |
| Indictments | Names of officials, contractors, and politicians implicated in mismanagement, diversion, and irregularities; court mandates their wide publication for prosecution and recovery of funds. |
| Legal Basis | Freedom of Information Act; non-discretionary presidential duty to disclose for transparency and anti-corruption efforts. |
| Next Steps Ordered | AGF to publish report and names; EFCC/ICPC to investigate and prosecute; recover misappropriated funds for victim compensation. |
This development has reignited national discourse on accountability in the oil-rich Niger Delta, where decades of environmental degradation from oil spills, infrastructural deficits, and youth unrest stem from such mismanagement. Civil society groups, including SERAP, argue that releasing the report could enable reforms, fund recoveries, and compensation for affected communities, potentially averting further unrest. As of November 24, 2025, the government has not yet complied, but pressure mounts for immediate action to restore trust in institutions like the NDDC.
