The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has taken the Federal Government to the ECOWAS Court of Justice over alleged financial irregularities involving ₦78.8 billion allocated to cash-transfer and social protection programmes for vulnerable Nigerians.

The lawsuit follows findings in the Auditor-General of the Federation’s 2024 Annual Report, which raised questions about payments and expenditures linked to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, the National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) and the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO).

According to the report, approximately ₦33.751 billion reportedly transferred to more than 3.2 million households across 35 states in 2023 could not be adequately verified because the necessary records were unavailable.

The audit also flagged ₦36.744 billion in payments made without prepayment audits and ₦4.616 billion in expenditure unsupported by adequate documentation.

SERAP, in suit number ECW/CCJ/APP/42/26, 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 misappropriated or improperly spent.

The organisation is also seeking appropriate legal or administrative action against anyone found responsible, alongside stronger financial oversight, beneficiary verification and auditing procedures for future disbursements.

SERAP argued that the failure to properly account for funds intended to support vulnerable households raises concerns about Nigerians’ rights to social security and an adequate standard of living, particularly access to basic necessities such as food, clothing and housing.

The organisation further wants the government to ensure that eligible beneficiaries receive the assistance intended for them and that any harm resulting from established irregularities is addressed.

SERAP said it had previously written to President Bola Tinubu and relevant authorities on September 5, urging them to publish relevant financial records, investigate the audit findings and recover any funds found to have been unlawfully spent.

The organisation said the deadline it gave the government had elapsed without adequate action, prompting it to approach the regional court.

No hearing date has been fixed for the case.

The allegations of financial irregularities have yet to be determined by the court, and the audit findings do not, on their own, establish that the funds were stolen or diverted.