Renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate and prosecute government officials allegedly responsible for the failure to account for N33.75bn earmarked for cash transfers to poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
Falana, in a statement released on Sunday, further urged the anti-graft agency to collaborate with the Auditor-General for the Federation, Shaakaa Chira, to trace and recover the funds.
The demand followed revelations in the Auditor-General’s 2024 Annual Report on Non-Compliance/Internal Control Weaknesses in Ministries, Departments and Agencies that the Federal Government could not provide sufficient evidence to auditors showing that N33.75bn in cash transfers reached genuine beneficiaries.
Politics Nigeria reports that the funds were intended for more than 3.29 million vulnerable households.
Falana described the development as a serious concern, particularly because the money was designed to cushion poverty and provide support for some of the country’s most vulnerable citizens.
He said the EFCC should immediately investigate the alleged criminal diversion of the funds and ensure that anyone found culpable faces prosecution.
“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission should liaise with the Auditor-General of the Federation with a view to recovering the missing N33.75bn.
“Furthermore, the EFCC should embark on an immediate investigation of the serious allegation of the criminal diversion of the sum of N33.75bn in cash transfers earmarked for poor and vulnerable people in the country. All the characters involved in the shameful conduct should be arrested and prosecuted without any delay,” he said.
The lawyer said the controversy was particularly troubling given the statutory responsibilities of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), established under the National Social Investment Programme Agency Act 2022.
The agency is empowered to design and implement social investment programmes, maintain beneficiaries’ databases, improve payment and accountability systems and work with state governments and development partners.
Its programmes include N-Power, the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, National Cash Transfer, National Social Safety-Net, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme and the Grant for Vulnerable Groups.
Falana, however, alleged that corruption and weak accountability had continued to undermine the administration of some of the programmes.
He cited previous controversies involving former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, who was investigated by the EFCC over alleged money laundering involving more than N37.1bn.
He also recalled that a Federal Capital Territory High Court issued an arrest warrant in April 2026 against Farouq and her former Permanent Secretary, Bashir Alkali, following their repeated failure to appear for arraignment.
Falana further referenced the controversy involving former Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Betta Edu, who was suspended in January 2024 after a leaked memo directed the Accountant-General of the Federation to transfer N585m in intervention funds into a private bank account.
The lawyer also mentioned the suspension and questioning of the former National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of NSIPA, Halima Shehu, over alleged suspicious movement of funds.
He urged the EFCC to conclude its investigations into the allegations involving Edu and Shehu, saying the public deserved to know the outcome.
“By now, the EFCC ought to have concluded its investigation into the scandal to enable Betta Edu and Halima Shehu to know their fate,” Falana said.
The latest revelation comes despite measures introduced by the Federal Government to strengthen the monitoring of social investment programmes.
Among the measures are requirements for beneficiaries to link their profiles to their Bank Verification Numbers and National Identification Numbers, with the aim of eliminating ghost beneficiaries and improving the transparency of payments.
Falana argued that the Auditor-General’s latest findings raised fresh questions about the effectiveness of those safeguards.
He also expressed concern over the planned implementation of a $3.05bn development package unveiled by President Bola Tinubu in July 2026 and supported by the World Bank.
According to Falana, the package, designed to support poverty reduction, human capital development and economic opportunities, must not be exposed to the alleged abuses that have plagued previous social investment schemes.
He called for an independent oversight mechanism involving credible civil society organisations to monitor the disbursement of the funds.
“Instead of allowing public officers to feast on the huge funds for poverty reduction in the land, the Federal Government should set up a body constituted by representatives of credible civil society organisations to disburse the $3.05bn package of development programmes to the poor and vulnerable people in the country,” he said.
Falana further claimed that the World Bank had concluded arrangements to withdraw the funds if the Federal Government failed to prevent alleged diversion of resources meant for poverty reduction.
The controversy adds to growing concerns over the management of Nigeria’s social protection funds.
Earlier, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) had also called on President Bola Tinubu to direct relevant ministries and agencies to account for more than N78.8bn allegedly diverted, unaccounted for or irregularly spent.
SERAP specifically demanded records and audit trails for the N33.751bn cash transfers made in 2023, including beneficiary details, payments, verification, authorisations and reconciliation.
It also raised concerns over N36.744bn in payments allegedly made without prepayment audit, N4.616bn in unsupported expenditures, N350.182m in enrolment payments, N89.511m in store purchases and N17.422m in diesel advances.
The organisation further called for investigations into N76.24bn in questionable and unaccounted-for expenditures at the National Cash Transfer Office and another N2.55bn at the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office.
