General
Court Orders Sadia Umar-Farouk to Account for Missing N729bn After SERAP Suit

By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development, Mrs Sadia Umar-Farouk, to account for payments of N729 billion to 24.3 million poor Nigerians for six months.
The judgment was delivered last month by Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu following a Freedom of Information suit number: FHC/L/CS/853/2021, brought by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
The court also ordered the former minister to provide the list and details of the beneficiaries who received the payments, the number of states covered and the payments per state.
This information was disclosed in a statement by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Mr Kolawole Oluwadare, who noted that the certified true copy of the judgment was obtained last Friday.
He stated that in his judgment, Justice Dipeolu held that, “The former minister is compelled by the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act to give information to any person, including SERAP. I, therefore, grant an order of mandamus directing and compelling the minister to provide the spending details of N729 billion to 24.3 million poor Nigerians in 2021.”
Justice Dipeolu also ordered the minister to “provide SERAP with details of how the beneficiaries have been selected and the mechanisms for the payments to the beneficiaries.”
The judge mandated her to “explain the rationale for paying N5,000 to 24.3 million poor Nigerians, which translates to five per cent of Nigeria’s budget of N13.6 trillion for 2021.”
According to Justice Dipeolu, “The [former] minister did not give any reason for the refusal to disclose the details sought by SERAP. SERAP has reeled out the relevant sections of the Freedom of Information Act 2011 that the minister contravened and has in line with sections 20 and 25(1) of the Act prayed this Court for an order of mandamus to direct and compel the minister to provide the information sought.”
The judge dismissed the objections raised by her counsel and upheld SERAP’s arguments. Consequently, the court entered judgment in favour of SERAP against the former minister.
Justice Dipeolu’s judgment, dated June 27, 2024, held that, “SERAP complied with section 20 of the Freedom of Information Act in filing this suit. Therefore, this suit is not statute barred and I dismiss the minister’s preliminary objection. I so hold.”
SERAP deputy director described “This ground-breaking judgment (as) a victory for transparency and accountability in the spending of public funds.”
“Justice Dipeolu’s judgment shows the urgent need for the Tinubu government to genuinely address the systemic allegations of corruption in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development and other ministries, departments and agencies, as documented by the Auditor-General of the Federation.”
“We commend Justice Dipeolu for her courage and wisdom, and urge President Bola Tinubu to immediately obey the court orders.”
The statement, while quoting a foremost human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN) praised SERAP, saying the organisation “deserves the commendation of all well-meaning people that have agonised over reports of systemic corruption in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development and in other MDAs.”
“This is one of the most patriotic public interest litigation ever undertaken in Nigeria. We call on the Tinubu government to use the judgment as the basis for comprehensively addressing cases of corruption in the ministry and bringing to justice those suspected to be responsible as well as recovering proceeds of corruption,” he added.
General
Obasa Makes First Appearance at Lagos Assembly After Impeachment

By Adedapo Adesanya
Mr Mudashiru Obasa made his first appearance at the Lagos State House of Assembly complex on Thursday, February 27, 2025, after he was impeached as the Speaker on January 13, 2025.
The former speaker entered the chamber flanked by armed and uniformed security operatives, who ushered him into the premises.
Business Post reports that Mr Obasa was welcomed with an ovation by his supporters and well-wishers
The politician was welcomed at the entrance gate of the Assembly Complex.
The 40-member House removed the Agege I representative as Speaker by more than two-thirds of the house over alleged misconduct and corruption offences.
Mr Obasa’s then deputy, Mrs Mojisola Meranda, was immediately elected the new Speaker, becoming the first female to take charge of the legislative body in the South-West state.
With her emergence, Mrs Meranda, who represents Apapa Constituency I, ended the 10-year reign of Mr Obasa on the seat.
Mr Obasa was first elected into the House in 2007. He has been in the chamber since then. He emerged as a speaker in June 2015 before his removal in January 2025. He is believed to have the strong support of President Bola Tinubu, who reportedly asked for his return and the resignation of Mrs Meranda.
It is not immediately clear what the next development will be with his return to the chamber, but Mrs Meranda has about 36 members of the state parliament as loyalists. They have all supported and passed a vote of confidence on her, insisting that Mr Obasa has no room to return to the position despite claiming he was not lawfully removed from office.
Last week, some agents of the Department of Security Services (DSS) and legislative workers clashed in the chambers.
The incident led to 36 lawmakers passing a vote of confidence in Mrs Meranda, who was teary-eyed.
Meanwhile, the police had earlier allegedly withdrawn all the escorts attached to the speaker.
General
EFCC Laments Crypto Funding of Fraud Syndicates’ Cells

By Adedapo Adesanya
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ola Olukoyede, says organised foreign fraud syndicates are establishing cells in Nigerian cities and recruiting youths into serious organised cybercrimes, made easy by cryptocurrencies.
This was disclosed by the anti-graft agency in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Mr Dele Oyewale, on Thursday in Abuja.
Mr Olukoyede said this while receiving participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) 18 of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS) on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said the team was led by the institute’s Director of Studies, Mr Hyginus Ngele, to the commission.
Mr Olukoyede expressed surprise at how bandits and insurgents were able to sustain their activities in the country over the years.
He noted with concern, the rate of flow of small arms and light weapons across the borders and the involvement of non-state actors in the illegal exploitation of minerals in parts of the country.
The EFCC boss said all these activities compounded the threats in the security landscape.
“Another dimension that is not given attention is the discovery, recently, that organised foreign fraud syndicates are establishing cells in Nigerian cities.
”They are recruiting young Nigerians into serious organised cybercrimes, including cryptocurrency fraud.
“By the virtue of EFCC’s recent discovery, we are beginning to see the likelihood, the propensity that a lot of these people are into illegal importation of arms into the country using cryptocurrency as means of payment.”
According to him, this is an area that must interest all and sundry.
“In the special operations we carried out in Lagos recently, we arrested 194 foreigners in the heart of Victoria Island.
”They comprised Chinese, Filipinos, Eastern Europeans, Tunisians and among others in one building at a time. You can imagine what these guys are doing, 194 of them.
“Some of them don’t even have valid visas and most of the financial activities they carried out were through cryptocurrency,” he said.
He said the commission also discovered that some of the foreigners arrested were already ex-convicts in their countries.
“Some of them have been convicted and escaped from their countries and found safe haven in Africa, not only Nigeria.
“We discovered that they are also developing cells in some other African countries by virtue of the investigation we are carrying out,” he said.
The EFCC boss called for spirited efforts at both national and continental levels to combat the menace of internet fraud.
He stressed that the money laundering and national security dimension of the presence of foreign organised crime groups demanded close scrutiny.
“All security, intelligence and law enforcement organisations in Nigeria and indeed Africa, must close ranks in dealing with this challenge,” he said.
On his part, the NISS commandant, Mr Joseph Odama, who spoke through Mr Ngele, praised Mr Olukoyede’s leadership of the EFCC for the commission’s “remarkable achievements in combating corruption, money laundering, and other financial crimes.”
He noted that the achievements had not only strengthened Nigeria’s integrity but also served as a model for other nations in Africa and beyond.
He said the EFCC, under Mr Olukoyede, had been at the forefront of investigating and prosecuting financial crimes, including those involving non-state actors.
“Your commission’s exploratory activities have uncovered the intricate networks through which some NGOs and other entities channel funds to support hostile non-state actors, thereby, fueling instability in various parts of the country and the African continent.
“We recognise the critical role the EFCC plays in disrupting these networks and ensuring accountability.
“In light of this, we are particularly interested in hearing your insights on how your commission navigates the complexities of investigating and prosecuting cases involving non-state actors.
“We also seek your contributions on how Nigeria and other African nations can strengthen legal and institutional frameworks to address the challenges posed by these actors while promoting transparency and accountability in their operations.”
General
NSCDC Intercepts 1,571 Litres of Petroleum Products in Zamfara

By Adedapo Adesanya
The Zamfara State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has intercepted 1,571 litres of petroleum products in the Northern state.
According to the security outfit, the products were illegally transported in jerry cans to banditry-prone areas.
The State Commandant, Mr Sani Mustapha, in a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr Umar Muhammad, revealed that four suspects were arrested in connection with the crime at two separate locations.
Among them were two filling station pump attendants and two buyers apprehended in the Birnin Magaji and Tsafe Local Government Areas of the state.
Mr Muhammad disclosed that aside from transporting fuel from unauthorised locations, the suspects also violated the Executive Order prohibiting the sale of petroleum products in jerricans within Zamfara State.
He stated that two of the suspects were caught in Birnin Magaji with 1,296 litres of fuel, while the other two were arrested in Tsafe with 275 litres of the product.
“Today, we bring before you four suspects apprehended for illegal dealings of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in large quantities, violating the National and State Executive Order of petroleum products sales to retailers in jerry cans,” he stated.
The NSCDC assured citizens that investigations are ongoing and reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing the law to curb illegal fuel diversion and activities that could aid insecurity in the state.
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