• HEDA asks ICPC to investigate alleged land allocation to Wike’s son
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, to promptly investigate allegations that high-ranking officials and politicians indicted in the report of the forensic audit on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) between 2000 and 2019 obstructed the publication of the report.

SERAP urged him to direct Fagbemi and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly identify those responsible for obstructing the release of the report and prosecute them for obstruction of justice.

SERAP also urged him to direct the AGF to immediately publish the report and name and shame those responsible for the alleged embezzlement of over N6 trillion in the NDDC, recover any proceeds of corruption, and provide adequate compensation to victims.

In a letter signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, at the weekend, the organisation said that while the audit report may make uncomfortable reading for the indicted officials and politicians, the government has a constitutional responsibility to publish it and act upon its recommendations.

The body said the forensic audit report of the NDDC can no longer be left to gather dust.

“The continued failure to publish the audit report undermines public trust and confidence, particularly of victims of corruption in the Niger Delta, who have waited for too long for justice and accountability.

“Obstructing the release of the forensic audit report or hiding it is a grave and willful attempt to obstruct, prevent and pervert the course of justice for the allegations of corruption in the NDDC,” SERAP said.

ALSO, the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has called on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to urgently investigate the allegations of massive land allocation fraud involving the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

In a petition signed by HEDA’s Chairman, Mr Olanrewaju Suraju, the organisation raises concerns over what it described as reckless abuse of office and primitive diversion and accumulation of public assets by the minister.

HEDA recalled that Wike allegedly allocated over 2,082 hectares of prime Abuja land valued at approximately $3.6 billion to his son, Joaquin Wike, under illegal and unethical circumstances, in violation of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers.

The body revealed that the allocations were made to JOAQ Farms and Estates Ltd, a company linked to the minister’s son and associates, shortly after its registration in October 2024.