The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to order the publication of the forensic audit report of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) from 2000 to 2019.
SERAP is also asking President Tinubu to direct the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to name and shame those accused of embezzling over N6 trillion from the NDDC by holding them accountable, recover any proceeds of corruption and provide adequate compensation to victims.
The civil society organisation made the demands in an open letter dated July 5, 2025, signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
The organisation also urges the president to order the Minister of Justice to investigate allegations that some high-ranking officials and politicians indicted in the report obstructed its publication.
SERAP further urged the President to instruct Fagbemi and relevant anti-corruption agencies to promptly identify those responsible for obstructing the report’s release and bring them to justice.
“Although the audit report may be uncomfortable reading for the indicted officials and politicians, the government has a constitutional responsibility to publish it and act upon its recommendations,” the organisation said.
SERAP further insisted that the forensic audit report can no longer be allowed to gather dust because the continued failure to publish the report undermines public trust—especially for the victims of corruption in the Niger Delta who have waited far too long for justice and accountability.
The organisation stated that obstructing the release of the forensic audit report or hiding it is a grave and willful attempt to obstruct, prevent, and pervert the course of justice regarding the allegations of corruption in the NDDC.”
It further added that delaying the implementation of its recommendations has enabled suspected perpetrators to evade justice and denied access to justice for victims.
SERAP demanded that the government meet its recommendations within seven days of receiving or publishing the letter, or it should be prepared to face appropriate legal action before the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
The organisation stated, “There is a legitimate public interest in publishing the full forensic audit report on the NDDC, naming and shaming those responsible for allowing the report to gather dust, and bringing them to justice.
“The UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in Article 25 requires the government to penalise any conduct that wrongly interferes, directly or indirectly, with the initiation, progress, or outcome of any investigation into allegations of corruption.
“Victims of grand corruption in the Niger Delta would lose faith in public investigations of bribery if the audit report is not published immediately and its recommendations acted upon. They want to see the recommendations and the progress made to ensure the NDDC is fit for purpose.
“Failure to publish the report and fully implement its recommendations suggests that the forensic audit was not commissioned for transparency and accountability, but rather as a ruse to postpone and evade it.
“The extraordinary delay in publishing the report contradicts the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) and the country’s international anti-corruption and human rights obligations.
“Approximately N1.4 billion was reportedly allocated for the auditors who conducted the NDDC forensic audit.’’
According to SERAP, the audit conducted at public expense has been gathering dust on an official’s desk for several years. It adds that it highlights the Buhari administration’s failure to deliver justice for the people of the Niger Delta, who are the primary victims of the alleged corruption within the NDDC.
“Holding accountable those suspected of responsibility for the grand corruption documented in the NDDC forensic report and recovering any proceeds of corruption would advance the rights of Nigerians to restitution, compensation, and guarantees against future violations. It would also enhance public confidence in the fight against corruption.
“The audit report provides prima facie evidence of grand corruption and its staggering effects in the Niger Delta. Nigerians have the right to know the identities of those obstructing the publication of the forensic audit report.
“Section 15, subsection (5) of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended) mandates your government to eliminate all corrupt practices and abuses of power.
“SERAP is concerned that despite the country’s vast oil wealth, ordinary Nigerians have seen minimal benefits from the region’s trillions of naira allocated for socio-economic development, primarily due to widespread grand corruption and impunity among perpetrators.
“The missing N6 trillion and over 13,000 abandoned projects highlight the urgent need for accountability and reform,” SERAP stated.
