Tinubu, AGF dragged to Court over N167b Contractors Fraud

The group alleged failure to direct the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Olawale Edun, to name and ensure the prosecution of the contractors, who collected over N167 billion from 31 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), but failed to execute any projects.

SERAP has filed a lawsuit against President Tinubu and Attorney General Fagbemi at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

The lawsuit alleges that the defendants have failed to instruct the Minister of Finance to identify and prosecute contractors who received over N167 billion from government agencies but did not complete any projects.

In the suit number FHC/L/MISC/121/2025 filed at the weekend, SERAP is asking the court to compel the President to direct Edun to publish the names of the companies and contractors that collected over N167 billion from 31 MDAs, but failed to execute any projects, as documented in the 2021 Audited Report by the Auditor General of the Federation.

The organization is requesting the court’s intervention to order Tinubu to instruct Edun to disclose the specifics of the projects for which contractors and companies received N167 billion.

These details include the project locations, the amounts received by each entity, and the identities of their shareholders.

In the suit, SERAP is arguing that the allegations of corruption involving many companies and contractors, who collected over N167 billion from 31 MDAs, have continued to impair, obstruct and undermine access of poor Nigerians to public goods and services.

The body is also arguing that holding the companies and contractors, who collected over N167 billion from 31 MDAs, but disappeared with the money will prevent and combat waste, fraud and abuse in the spending of public funds.

According to SERAP, there is a legitimate public interest in not shielding or allowing ingrained wrongdoing by companies and contractors to go unpunished. SERAP is also arguing that the consequences of corruption are felt by citizens on a daily basis. Corruption exposes them to additional costs to pay for health, education and administrative services.

The organisation said the allegations suggested a grave violation of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the country’s anti-corruption legislation and international anti-corruption obligations.

In the suit, filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Ms Oluwakemi Agunbiade, the organisation said granting the reliefs sought would ensure transparency and accountability in how any public funds were spent by MDAs and reduce vulnerability to corruption and mismanagement.

“The UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party contains requirements of integrity and honesty in economic, financial or commercial activities, both in the public and private sectors.

It also imposes obligations on the government to ensure that sanctions imposed for corruption on natural and legal persons are effective, proportionate and dissuasive,” SERAP said. No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit