SERAP Pressures Tinubu to Release NDDC Audit Report, Cites Corruption Obstruction
Lagos, Nigeria | July 6, 2025 – IDNN News Desk
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has issued a fresh demand to President Bola Tinubu to immediately release the long-suppressed forensic audit report on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), warning that continued secrecy constitutes an “obstruction of justice.”
In a public letter released on Sunday, the civic organization accused senior government officials of deliberately burying the report to protect powerful political figures and contractors implicated in massive corruption, mismanagement, and project fraud between 2000 and 2019.
“Obstructing the release of the forensic audit report or hiding it is a grave and willful attempt to prevent justice,” SERAP said.
Audit Delays = Shield for the Corrupt
The NDDC forensic audit was launched in 2020 during the Buhari administration to investigate years of rot in the commission’s operations. Despite its completion and submission in 2021, the report has not been made public.
SERAP believes this delay is enabling suspects named in the audit to avoid prosecution, while affected Niger Delta communities continue to suffer from abandoned projects and looted development funds.
“The continued failure to publish the audit report undermines public trust, especially in communities that have waited too long for justice,” SERAP stated.
Calls for Prosecution and Transparency
SERAP reminded the Tinubu administration that it has both constitutional and international obligations to act on the findings, regardless of whether the contents are politically inconvenient.
“Even if the audit implicates senior officials or politicians, your government has a duty to publish it and prosecute those responsible,” the group said.
The organization cited Article 25 of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), which classifies interference in anti-corruption investigations as a punishable offense under international law.
“The forensic audit of the NDDC can no longer be left to gather dust,” SERAP declared.
Wike Echoes SERAP’s Demands
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has also demanded the audit’s release, specifically naming former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami as the individual who allegedly “killed the report.” Wike accused Malami of burying evidence that implicates high-profile political actors and their family-linked companies.
His most explosive claim was that Amaechi’s wife allegedly received ₦4 billion monthly through NDDC-linked contracts—a revelation he insists is buried within the audit’s findings.
“Let the audit be released. If I’m lying, I will resign as Minister,” Wike declared.
Presidency Yet to Respond
As of press time, the Tinubu administration had not officially responded to either Wike’s allegations or SERAP’s formal demand.
Transparency advocates say the president’s silence threatens his reform credentials, especially given his pledge to fight corruption and drive accountability in federal institutions.
IDNN VERDICT:
The forensic audit is more than a document—it’s a test of Tinubu’s willingness to confront Nigeria’s entrenched culture of impunity. The longer the silence, the louder the suspicion.
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