CBDA Tension Deepens As Staff Allege Fraudulent Asset Disposal, Revenue Diversion

Serious allegations of financial misconduct, abuse of office, and irregular asset disposal have emerged against the leadership of the Chad Basin Development Authority (CBDA) in Borno State, following claims made by concerned staff calling for urgent federal government intervention.

The allegations centre on a controversial auction process, suspected diversion of internally generated revenue (IGR), and alleged sale of recently procured government assets under questionable circumstances.

The CBDA management is currently led by the managing director/CEO, Tijjani Musa Tumsah, alongside Board chairman, Prof. Abdu Dauda Biu, and other senior executive directors.

According to whistleblowing staff, tensions within the Authority have escalated since the current leadership assumed office around March 2025, with accusations that key decisions on asset disposal and revenue management were taken without due process or transparency.

Sources cited by a security analyst alleged that the auction exercise was initially approved for unserviceable equipment but was later expanded to include recently acquired federal assets between 2020 and 2023.

The alleged items listed for disposal reportedly include heavy-duty equipment such as excavators, bulldozers, tractors, graders, power generators, drilling rigs, irrigation equipment, and official vehicles including Hilux and Corolla units.

Staff further alleged that financial inducements were used to influence the auction process, including claims that large sums were paid through intermediaries to reduce internal resistance among staff.

They also alleged that payments were made via a PoS operator allegedly used to disburse funds to staff accounts, with amounts reportedly ranging from ₦50,000 to ₦500,000.

According to the whistleblowers, the exercise was not carried out in compliance with key regulatory frameworks, including the Public Procurement Act (2007), Financial Regulations, and Public Service Rules, and allegedly lacked approvals from relevant oversight bodies.

The staff also raised concerns that senior officials within the Authority may be positioning themselves to acquire some of the auctioned assets, including official vehicles and operational equipment.

They further alleged that revenue generated from equipment hiring services and guest house operations was not remitted into official accounts but instead diverted through unofficial channels.

The whistleblowers claimed that since the current leadership assumed office, there has been limited project activity, with no major new developments initiated within the Authority.

They are calling on anti-corruption agencies, including the EFCC and ICPC, to investigate the alleged auction irregularities, revenue diversion, and asset management processes.

At the time of filing this report, the CBDA leadership had not issued an official response to the allegations.

Efforts to obtain comments from the Authority’s management were unsuccessful, as no response had been received to inquiries sent through official channels.