Civil society groups and human rights lawyer Femi Falana have called for greater accountability over the EFCC’s reported N1.23trillion recoveries and alleged irregularities involving more than N78.8billion in government cash-transfer funds.
Human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN)
Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the significant progress recorded in the recovery of proceeds of corruption and financial crimes, the prosecution of offenders, and the strengthening of internal accountability within the commission.
Also, human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, and Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) urged President Bola Tinubu to direct relevant government agencies to account for over N78.8 billion in public funds reportedly diverted, unaccounted for or irregularly spent under the Federal Government’s cash transfer programme.
HEDA’s Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, said the EFCC’s reported recovery of approximately N1.23 trillion and $684.48 million between October 2023 and June 2026, alongside forfeiture orders covering more than 10,000 assets, represented a significant development in Nigeria’s efforts to combat corruption and recover public and criminal assets.
The recoveries include 1,177 properties, 251 plots of land, 370 vehicles, and other assets, such as the 753-unit housing estate in Abuja.
According to Suraju, the significance of the recoveries goes beyond the volume of funds and assets recovered, as they have the potential to contribute directly to public welfare, strengthen accountability and restore citizens’ confidence in the fight against corruption.
“The reported allocation of additional N50 billion to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and another N50 billion to the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDITCORP) demonstrates how recovered resources can be redirected towards programmes with direct benefits to citizens,” he said.
HEDA also described the transfer of the recovered 753-unit Abuja housing estate to the Federal Ministry of Housing as an opportunity to convert a recovered public asset into social and economic value while demonstrating that proceeds of financial crimes can be recovered and put to productive use.
It welcomed the EFCC’s recent measures to strengthen accountability within its own ranks, with over 40 commission personnel dismissed for corruption and financial malpractice, and more than five of the affected personnel are being prosecuted.
Falana, in a statement yesterday, urged EFCC to work with the Auditor-General of the Federation (AuGF) to recover the money and prosecute public officials found culpable.
The call followed a disclosure by the AuGF, Shaakaa Chira, that the Federal Government could not provide sufficient evidence to auditors that N33.75 billion in cash transfers intended for more than 3.29 million vulnerable households 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 development raised serious concerns about the management of funds intended to alleviate poverty and support vulnerable Nigerians.
He said, “The EFCC should liaise with the AuGF with a view to recovering the missing N33.75 billion. Furthermore, the EFCC should immediately investigate the serious allegation of the criminal diversion 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.”
The lawyer noted that the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) was established as a statutory agency under the National Social Investment Programme Agency Act 2022, enacted during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to him, the law empowered NSIPA to design social investment programmes, manage beneficiaries’ databases, strengthen payment and accountability systems and collaborate with state governments and development partners.
SERAP, in a letter at the weekend signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, asked Tinubu to direct the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, the National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) and the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) to account for the funds.
The organisation said the allegations were documented in the 2024 report published by the AuGF on August 7, 2026. It said the report covered findings from January to December 2023 and through December 31, 2024.
SERAP urged the President to direct the Ministry and the NCTO to publish the full records and audit trail of the N33.751 billion 2023 cash transfers, including the names of beneficiaries, payments, verifications, authorisations, and reconciliations, and to explain the failure to provide REMITA records to the AuGF.
It also asked the government to account for N36.744 billion in payments made without prepayment audit, N4.616 billion in unsupported expenditures, N350.182 million in enrolment payments, N89.511 million in store purchases and N17.422 million in diesel advances.
It also called on appropriate anti-corruption agencies to investigate the N76.24 billion in questionable and unaccounted-for expenditures at NCTO and N2.55 billion at NASSCO, as well as recover and remit any funds improperly spent, diverted or lost.
