The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc. (NBET), seeking judicial orders to compel them to account for an alleged ₦128 billion in missing or diverted public funds. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/143/2026, was filed last Friday at the Federal High Court.
SERAP is asking the court to issue orders of mandamus directing the defendants to explain the whereabouts of the funds, disclose how the money was spent, and identify all officials and contractors involved in authorising and receiving the payments.
The allegations are contained in the latest annual report of the Auditor-General of the Federation, published on September 9, 2025. According to SERAP, the findings underscore deep-rooted corruption in Nigeria’s electricity sector, which it links to recurrent grid collapses.
In court filings, SERAP argues that Nigerians “continue to pay the price for widespread and grand corruption in the power sector,” noting that the public has a legitimate interest in transparency and accountability, especially in a sector critical to economic growth and social welfare. The organisation maintained that granting the reliefs sought would help address persistent transmission failures and improve access to reliable electricity supply.
The suit details numerous allegations of financial irregularities. It claims the Ministry of Power failed to account for over ₦4.4 billion transferred to Mambilla, Zungeru and Kashimbilla project accounts, with no evidence of expenditure.
An additional ₦95.4 billion was reportedly paid to contractors for projects that auditors say could not be verified. Other questioned expenses include foreign travel costs without statutory approvals, unaccounted spending on digital platforms, and advances to staff allegedly exceeding legal thresholds.
NBET is similarly accused of multiple procurement and financial breaches, including irregular contract awards, undocumented payments running into several billions of naira, extra-budgetary spending without legislative approval, and payments for consultancy and logistics services allegedly rendered without proof. The Auditor-General warned in several instances in the referenced report that public funds “may have been diverted, misapplied, or misappropriated,” and recommended full recovery and remittance to the treasury.
SERAP’s lawyers – Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi and Andrew Nwankwo – argue that the allegations amount to grave violations of public trust, the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and international anti-corruption obligations, including Nigeria’s commitments under the United Nations Convention against Corruption.
The organisation stressed that compelling disclosures would strike at the culture of impunity in the power sector, where ordinary Nigerians, it said, “remain in darkness while being forced to pay exorbitant electricity bills.”
No hearing date has been fixed for the case.