Publish names in alleged ₦200trn or face legal action – SERAP tells Akpabio

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked Godswill Akpabio, the senate president to ensure full disclosure of officials implicated in the alleged ₦200 trillion missing from the NNPCL.

The group warned of legal action if its demands are ignored.

In a letter dated March 21, signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, its deputy director, SERAP urged the Senate to direct its public accounts committee to publish the names and designations of all those involved, alongside key documents relating to the probe.

“Full disclosure of the ongoing investigation is essential to ensure transparency and accountability, prevent political interference, and allow Nigerians to independently scrutinise the facts and investigation,” the organisation said.

The senate committee is currently probing allegations that about ₦200 trillion is missing or unaccounted for in NNPCL’s accounts between 2017 and 2023, amid concerns over unreconciled figures and lack of supporting documentation.

SERAP stressed that public confidence in the investigation depends on openness, noting, “the allegations can only be taken seriously by Nigerians if the Senate is fully transparent in its ongoing investigation regarding the credibility, plausibility, and accuracy of the claims.”

The group warned that delays and non-compliance by some officials risk undermining the process.

“Allowing these allegations to be ignored, delayed, or politicised risks normalising impunity and diminishes the public’s right to know how national wealth is being managed,” it stated.

SERAP warned that failure to act could normalise impunity and diminish the public’s right to know how national wealth is being managed.

The organisation requested that the recommended measures be taken within seven days of receipt of the letter, adding that legal action may follow if the Senate does not comply.

According to the statement, several current and former NNPCL officials have failed to appear before the committee or provide satisfactory explanations, prompting concerns about transparency in the management of the country’s natural wealth.

“The allegations that ₦200 trillion is missing or unaccounted for, whether fully accurate or partly overstated, can only be taken seriously by Nigerians if the Senate is fully transparent in its ongoing investigation regarding the credibility, plausibility, and accuracy of the claims,” the letter stated.

SERAP urged the senate to set clear timelines for the appearance of implicated individuals and for the conclusion of the inquiry.

It also called for the full publication of the committee’s records, including the minutes, submissions, and evidence, to prevent misrepresentation or suppression of facts.