A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has struck out a suit seeking the release of the forensic audit report of the Niger Delta Development Commission.
The suit, filed by Mr. Paul Arochukwu Ogbonna and another on behalf of the civil society group Social Action, was instituted against the Attorney General of the Federation, requesting the court to compel the government to make the audit report public.
Presiding over the matter, Justice Turaki Mohammed struck out the case on the grounds that it was filed against a non-existent government agency.
The plaintiffs had initially approached the court in 2022 after the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs declined to release the forensic audit report. Following the dissolution of the ministry by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the plaintiffs amended their suit to include the Attorney General of the Federation as a respondent.
Despite the amendment, the court ruled that the suit could not proceed due to procedural defects relating to the party sued.
Speaking to journalists after the ruling, counsel to the plaintiffs, Victor Nweke, expressed dissatisfaction with the decision, noting that the case was struck out—not dismissed—leaving room for it to be refiled.
“We are not satisfied… we will come back. The matter was not dismissed; it was merely struck out,” he said, adding that they intend to pursue the case again to ensure access to the report.
Nweke argued that under Nigeria’s transparency laws, citizens are entitled to access public documents, including reports held by government institutions.
Also reacting, Ogbonna, head of legal for Social Action in Rivers State, described the suit as part of a broader anti-corruption campaign aimed at promoting accountability in the management of public funds allocated to the NDDC.
He maintained that Nigerians have a right to know how billions of naira invested in the commission have been utilised over the years, particularly given ongoing concerns about development in the Niger Delta region.
The forensic audit of the NDDC was commissioned to investigate financial activities and project execution within the agency, amid longstanding allegations of mismanagement and corruption.
By Blessing Ibunge
