₦88.79bn PAP Fund: FENDE Demands Audit, Beneficiary, Slot Disclosure

The Forum Against Niger Delta Exploitation (FANDE) has demanded an independent audit of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) over the disbursement of ₦88.79 billion in stipends, allocation of beneficiary “slots” and recognition of former militant camps. The group said the scale of public funds committed to the programme demands full transparency on who received the money and how beneficiaries were selected.

FANDE spokesman, General Gboloko, in a statement made available to newsmen Sunday, said the questions surrounding the PAP had become too significant for the federal government to ignore, particularly in view of the huge public funds committed to the programme

He said figures reportedly obtained from the federal government’s GovSpend platform showed that ₦88.79 billion was disbursed between 2018 and the first half of 2026 to representatives of former agitator camps for onward distribution as monthly stipends. The reported annual figures were ₦3.51billion in 2018, ₦11.07billion in 2019, ₦7.10billion in 2020, ₦15.11billion in 2021, ₦12.20billion in 2022, ₦12.52billion in 2023, ₦15.32billion in 2024, ₦8.53billion in 2025 and ₦3.44billion in the first half of 2026.

Gboloko stressed that the expenditure figure was not, by itself, evidence of fraud, but said the amount warranted independent verification. He demanded answers to basic questions, including who received the funds, the number of beneficiaries, how they were verified and whether deceased, duplicate or inactive beneficiaries had been removed from the database.

He also called on the PAP to publish detailed payment schedules showing recognised camps, beneficiary numbers and amounts allocated to each camp. According to him, the expenditure records reportedly contain names of former militant leaders and camps, including those associated with Ebikabowei Victor Ben, popularly known as Boyloaf, but he cautioned that the appearance of any name in the records should not be interpreted as evidence of wrongdoing.

The group instead questioned the criteria used to recognise camps and determine beneficiary allocations, particularly allegations that some former leaders were linked to multiple recognised camps while other stakeholders claimed their camps and followers were excluded. Gboloko said the PAP should publish the historical records and verification procedures used to determine recognised camps and beneficiary numbers.

FANDE said the controversy goes beyond individual former agitators or the current PAP leadership and raises wider questions about the programme’s accountability structure. Established in 2009 to support the disarmament, demobilisation, rehabilitation and reintegration of former Niger Delta agitators, the programme helped reduce hostilities in the oil-producing region, but Gboloko warned that a peace initiative created to address marginalisation must not become associated with fresh allegations of exclusion.

The group also questioned the reported ₦115 billion allocation to the PAP in the 2026 Appropriation Act, compared with ₦65 billion in each of 2024 and 2025. Gboloko said increased funding without stronger financial controls, beneficiary verification and independent oversight would deepen concerns over accountability.

FANDE further called for investigation of claims by some former agitator groups that they were shortchanged during the original 2009 integration process and that their followers had remained excluded from PAP benefits. While acknowledging that such claims require independent verification, Gboloko warned that unresolved perceptions of exclusion could create fresh grievances in a region with a history of violent agitation.

The group urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order a comprehensive independent review covering PAP expenditure, beneficiary databases, camp allocations, payment channels, contracts, training programmes and measurable outcomes. It also demanded publication of the beneficiary framework, camp-recognition criteria, slot allocations, beneficiary numbers, payment records, verification procedures and audit reports.

Gboloko said the controversy should be treated as both a governance and national-security issue, warning that renewed grievances in the Niger Delta could affect crude oil production, government revenue, investor confidence and the wider economy.

“The Presidential Amnesty Programme was created to end a conflict—not to create a new class system,” he said, urging the government to audit the programme, open its books, review the slots, verify beneficiaries and investigate credible allegations before the controversy develops into a fresh security challenge.