Law & Crime
Missing N57bn: SERAP sues Tinubu over alleged failure to probe Humanitarian Affairs ministry

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu over alleged failure to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN to work with appropriate to probe allegations that over N57 billion of public funds are missing from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in 2021 alone.
The damning allegations are documented in the 2021 audited report released last month by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.
According to the Deputy Director of SERAP, Kolawole Oluwadare, joined in the suit as respondent is Mr Fagbemi.
In the suit number FHC/L/MISC/876/2024 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Lagos, SERAP is asking the court “to compel President Tinubu to direct Mr Fagbemi to work with appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly probe allegations that over N57 billion of public funds are missing, diverted or stolen from the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in 2021.”
SERAP is also asking the court “to compel President Tinubu to direct Mr Fagbemi to work with appropriate anticorruption agencies to prosecute anyone suspected to be responsible for the missing N57 billion, if there is sufficient admissible evidence, and to recover any missing public funds.”
In the suit, SERAP is arguing that: “Investigating the allegations and prosecuting those suspected to be responsible for the missing N57 billion and recovering the missing funds would end the impunity of perpetrators.”
SERAP is also arguing that, “The allegations amount to stealing from the poor. There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these grave allegations.”
According to SERAP, “Poor Nigerians have continued to pay the price for the widespread and grand corruption in the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviations and other ministries, departments and agencies [MDAs].”
SERAP is also arguing that, “The consequences of corruption are felt by citizens on a daily basis. Corruption exposes them to additional costs to pay for health, education and administrative services.”
SERAP said, “The allegations also suggest a grave violation of the public trust, the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended), the country’s anti corruption legislation and international anti corruption obligations.”
The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Oluwadare and Ms Oluwakemi Agunbiade, read in part: “Granting the reliefs sought would go a long way in addressing corruption in ministries, departments and agencies [MDAs] and the country’s budget deficit and debt problems.”
“The damning revelations are documented in the 2021 audited report released recently by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation. Hundreds of billions of naira are also reportedly missing in other MDAs.”
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
Law & Crime
Niger State AG, Commissioner for Justice seeks collaboration with Police to end thuggery, Youth restiveness

By Uthman Baba-Al-Naseer, Minna
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Niger State Barrister Nasiru Mua’zu, has requested for a collaboration with the Niger State Police Command to bring an end to the activities of thuggery and youth restiveness in Minna the Niger State Capital.
He assured the Niger State, Command of his Ministry supports in ensuring that the increasing Proportion of youths restiveness and other security Challenges in the state are brought to an end.
The Attorney General who stated this while on a courtesy visit to the Commissioner of Police in Niger State, CP Abudullahi Adamu Elleman in his office Monday, noted that the office of the Attorney General is worried with the activities of ” these miscreants that have been making Minna the state capital inhabitable in recent times”
According to the Commissioner for Justice, members of the public also need to support relevant security agencies in the state with the needed information on the activities of these miscreants ” so that they can be taken away from the streets in the general interest of the citizens”
Adding, “As you all known police and other security forces as well as the courts cannot perform any magic neither they are magicians.
” Without Any vital information from the Public on the identity of these miscreants and their hideouts you cannot expect any magic from the security agencies. So all stakeholders must collaborate with the relevant security agencies to flush out these youths from our midsts” he asserted
Speaking further, Nasiru Mua’zu described as disturbing the undue interference of some prominent individuals and parents on the prosecution of their children involvement in criminality warning that full wrath of the law will be visited on such parents.
The Attorney General assured that the Judiciary will continue to leave up its constitutional mandate in ensuring the full Prosecution of the miscreants and appropriate punishment are mated on them if found guilty noting that unnecessary interference as the factor responsible for the effective Prosecution of the miscreants
Receiving the Attorney General, the Commissioner of Police CP Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, applauded the Commissioner for Justice for the visit and assure that the Command under his leadership will synergize with the office of the Attorney General in ensuring the speedy dispensation of Criminal Justice in the state.
He noted that the Police, as a critical stakeholders in the Criminal administration of Justice would continue to partner with the Ministry of Justice in making the state unsafe for Criminal minded elements in the state
CP Adamu Elleman requested the support of the office of the Attorney General for training and retraining of investigating Police Officers (IPO) this according to the Commissioner of Police will improve the capacity of the Police investigators for effective performance.
He told the Attorney General that legal department of the Command will be given the needed empowerment for effective Prosecution of cases and the legal department will be monitored to perform.
Law & Crime
Minna Court remands six persons in Correctional Custody for alleged kidnapping

Law & Crime
Falana, others raise the alarm over threat to Fawehinmi’s house in Lagos

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