The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered President Bola Tinubu to ensure that the Attorney General of the Federation releases the list of persons implicated in the alleged diversion of more than ₦6 trillion intended for the Niger Delta Development Commission between 2000 and 2019.
The landmark judgment, delivered on Monday, November 10, by Justice Gladys Olotu, further requires President Tinubu to make public the NDDC forensic audit report submitted to the Federal Government on September 2, 2021.
This ruling, obtained in a certified copy last Friday, follows a Freedom of Information lawsuit filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project in November 2021.
Justice Olotu ruled that the forensic audit report and the names of those indicted constitute “public records” under Section 31 of the Freedom of Information Act.
She noted that the information is not exempt from disclosure under Sections 11-19 of the Act, as it pertains to the management of public funds.
“The refusal of the President and the Attorney General to publish the audit report or act on the allegations, despite formal demand by SERAP, constitutes a breach of their statutory duties under the Freedom of Information Act, Section 15(5) of the Nigerian Constitution, and Nigeria’s international obligations to promote transparency and accountability,” Justice Olotu said.
The court emphasised that every citizen has the right to access information in the custody of public officials, and that the Freedom of Information Act imposes a non-discretionary duty on public institutions to release such information.
SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, described the judgment as a “ground-breaking victory for transparency and accountability in the spending of public funds,” urging the Tinubu administration to comply immediately.
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, praised the judgment, calling it “one of the most patriotic public interest litigations ever undertaken in Nigeria,” and stressed that delayed enforcement could undermine both the fight against corruption and the rule of law.
In a letter dated November 22, 2025, SERAP formally urged President Tinubu to implement the court orders without delay, stressing that compliance would demonstrate the administration’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.