Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate the alleged failure to account for N33.75 billion earmarked as cash transfers for poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

Falana, who is Chairman of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond, made the call in a statement on Sunday following findings contained in the Auditor-General for the Federation’s 2024 Annual Report on Non-Compliance and Internal Control Weaknesses.

The Auditor-General, Shaakaa Kanyitor Chira, had raised concerns over the inability of the Federal Government to provide sufficient evidence that the funds reached genuine beneficiaries.

The money was reportedly transferred to more than 3.29 million households and beneficiaries across 35 states under the National Social Investment Programme.

Falana urged the EFCC to work with the Auditor-General to establish what happened to the funds and recover them if investigations confirm that they were diverted.

He also called for the prosecution of all persons found responsible for the alleged diversion, saying those involved should be arrested and prosecuted without delay.

The lawyer recalled previous allegations of financial impropriety involving officials of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, including investigations into former minister Sadiya Umar Farouq and the suspension of former minister Betta Edu and former NSIPA chief executive Halima Shehu.

Falana urged the EFCC to conclude its investigations into the various allegations and make its findings public.

He also called on the Federal Government to ensure that funds allocated to poverty-reduction programmes reach their intended beneficiaries, particularly as the administration implements a $3.05 billion development package supported by the World Bank.

He proposed the involvement of credible civil society organisations in monitoring the disbursement of such funds to strengthen transparency and accountability.