SERAP Drags FG To ECOWAS Court Over ₦78.8bn Cash Transfer

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has dragged the Federal Government before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice over alleged financial irregularities involving more than ₦78.8 billion allocated to cash-transfer and social protection programmes.

The lawsuit follows findings contained in the Auditor-General of the Federation’s 2024 Annual Report, published on August 7, 2026. The findings concern transactions involving the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, the National Cash Transfer Office and the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office between January 2023 and December 2024.

In suit number ECW/CCJ/APP/42/26, filed last week, SERAP is asking the court to compel the government to account for the questioned funds, investigate the reported irregularities and recover any money established to have been improperly spent or diverted.

According to SERAP, the Auditor-General questioned approximately ₦33.751 billion reportedly transferred to more than 3.2 million households across 35 states in 2023, citing inadequate documentation to verify payments and reconcile beneficiary records.

The report also identified ₦36.744 billion in payments allegedly made without prepayment audits and ₦4.616 billion in expenditure unsupported by adequate documentation. Other questioned transactions included ₦350.182 million for enrolment, ₦89.511 million for store purchases and ₦17.422 million in diesel advances.

SERAP argued that the reported irregularities raise concerns about the management of public funds intended to support vulnerable households and help them meet essential needs.

The organisation is seeking a declaration that the government’s alleged failure to account for the funds and address the audit findings violates Nigeria’s international human rights obligations, particularly those relating to social security and an adequate standard of living.

It is also asking the court to direct relevant government agencies to provide payment records, beneficiary details, verification documents and financial reconciliation records. SERAP wants an independent investigation, appropriate action against anyone found responsible in accordance with due process, and stronger financial oversight to prevent similar problems.

The organisation said it had previously written to President Bola Tinubu and relevant authorities on September 5, 2026, urging them to publish relevant records, investigate the findings and recover any funds found to have been unlawfully spent or diverted. It said the deadline given for action had expired without an adequate response.

The suit was filed by SERAP’s lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Kehinde Oyewumi. The organisation is also asking the government to ensure eligible households receive their intended benefits and that any established harm is addressed.

No hearing date has been fixed for the case. The allegations remain subject to investigation and judicial determination; the audit findings do not, by themselves, establish that the funds were stolen.