Human rights lawyer and Chairman of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond, Femi Falana (SAN), has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate the alleged diversion of N33.75bn earmarked for cash transfers to poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
Similarly, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has asked President Bola Tinubu to order an immediate investigation into more than N78.8bn in public funds allegedly diverted, unaccounted for or irregularly spent under the Federal Government’s social protection programmes.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Falana urged the anti-graft agency to work with the Auditor-General for the Federation to recover the funds and prosecute any public officials found responsible.
The call followed a revelation by the Auditor-General for the Federation, Shaakaa Chira, that the Federal Government could not provide auditors with adequate evidence showing that N33.75bn in cash transfers meant for more than 3.29 million vulnerable households had reached genuine beneficiaries.
The disclosure was contained in the Auditor-General’s 2024 Annual Report on Non-Compliance/Internal Control Weaknesses in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government.
Falana said the revelation raised serious concerns about how funds meant to alleviate poverty and assist vulnerable Nigerians were being managed.
He said, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission should liaise with the Auditor-General of the Federation with a view to recovering the missing N33.75bn.
“Furthermore, the EFCC should embark on an immediate investigation of the serious allegation of the criminal diversion of the sum of N33.75 billion in cash transfers earmarked for poor and vulnerable people in the country.
“All the characters involved in the shameful conduct should be arrested and prosecuted without any delay.”
Falana noted that the National Social Investment Programme Agency was created as a statutory body under the National Social Investment Programme Agency Act 2022, which was enacted during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said the legislation gave NSIPA responsibility for designing social investment programmes, managing beneficiary databases, improving payment and accountability systems, and working with state governments and development partners.
The Act provides for programmes such as N-Power, the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, National Cash Transfer, National Social Safety-Net, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme and Grant for Vulnerable Groups.
However, Falana alleged that corruption involving some public officials had weakened the management of the programmes.
He recalled that Sadiya Umar Farouq, the pioneer Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, had been investigated by the EFCC over alleged money laundering involving more than N37.1bn.
He also recalled that in April 2026, a Federal Capital Territory High Court issued an arrest warrant for Farouq and her former Permanent Secretary, Bashir Nura Alkali, following their repeated failure to appear for arraignment.
Falana further cited the controversy involving former Humanitarian Affairs Minister Betta Edu, who was suspended in January 2024 after a leaked December 2023 memo directed the Accountant-General of the Federation to transfer N585m in public intervention funds into a private bank account.
He added that Halima Shehu, former Chief Executive Officer of NSIPA, was also suspended and questioned over alleged suspicious movement of funds.
Falana called for the EFCC to conclude its investigation into the allegations involving Edu and Shehu, saying the public deserved to know the outcome.
“By now, the EFCC ought to have concluded its investigation into the scandal to enable Betta Edu and Halima Shehu to know their fate,” he said.
Following controversies surrounding the administration of social investment funds, the Federal Government introduced stricter beneficiary-tracking measures, including requirements for beneficiaries to link their profiles to their Bank Verification Numbers and National Identification Numbers.
The measures were intended to eliminate ghost beneficiaries and strengthen accountability in the distribution of social protection funds.
Falana, however, said the Auditor-General’s latest findings indicated that major concerns remained over the effectiveness of mechanisms designed to track social investment funds.
He also raised concerns about the planned implementation of a $3.05bn development package announced by President Bola Tinubu in July 2026.
According to Falana, the World Bank-backed package is intended to support poverty reduction, improve human capital development and expand economic opportunities across Nigeria.
He warned that the government must ensure the funds do not face the alleged abuses associated with previous social investment programmes.
Falana called for an independent oversight mechanism involving credible civil society organisations to monitor the disbursement of the funds to poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
“Instead of allowing public officers to feast on the huge funds for poverty reduction in the land, the Federal Government should set up a body constituted by representatives of credible civil society organisations to disburse the $3.05bn package of development programmes to the poor and vulnerable people in the country,” he said.
Falana further claimed that the World Bank had concluded arrangements to withdraw the funds if the Federal Government failed to prevent officials from allegedly diverting resources intended for poverty reduction.
The latest controversy comes amid renewed efforts by the Federal Government and development partners to strengthen Nigeria’s social protection system and ensure that government interventions reach their intended beneficiaries.
The Auditor-General’s findings have increased pressure on the government and anti-corruption agencies to establish what happened to the N33.75bn and determine whether the failure to account for the funds was caused by administrative weaknesses, fraud or criminal diversion.