General News
Auditor General’s Report: Humanitarian Ministry, NCTO Must Account for Missing Funds –SERAP
–Falana urges EFCC to investigate, prosecute Beta Edu, Halima Shehu
By Nick Ibe, Abuja
The Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation recently released its 2024 Annual Report on Non-Compliance and Internal Control Weaknesses in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), uncovering over N1.34 trillion in financial irregularities and control failures across federal MDAs.
The report was transmitted to the National Assembly by Auditor-General Shaakaa Chira, with the damning report triggering widespread public outrage, political pressure, and civil society demands for immediate anti-corruption investigations.
The Audit Report showed Unverified Cash Transfers, thus flagging N33.75 billion distributed electronically through the National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) to over 3.29 million vulnerable households in 2023, noting that payment vouchers lacked essential recipient details and crucial Remita reconciliation statements were withheld from auditors.
The report also showed Gas Infrastructure Irregularities: The Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund racked up N94.4 billion in financial lapses, including N51.09 billion in uncollected or under-remitted gas flare penalties and failure to present audited accounts for three consecutive years.
Further found were, Unaccounted Funds and Advances with Multiple MDAs failing to retire cash advances totaling N2.74 billion, while unverified or unsupported payments crossed N6.73 billion across various government portfolios.
Following these revelations, ripples and public reactions have continued with the Socio-Economic and Rights Accountability Project, SERAP, giving a 7-day ultimatum to President Bola Tinubu’s administration to thoroughly probe the cash transfer allocations and account for the diversion of N33.75bn or face legal action before international bodies like the ECOWAS Court.
Political Pressure: Opposition figures and civil society groups have amplified criticism, pointing out that these financial discrepancies mock ongoing poverty-alleviation efforts while hardship persists nationwide.
Similarly, governance experts and public integrity organizations are pressing the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committees to summon indicted agency heads and enforce strict recovery of missing or unremitted revenues.
In his reaction, Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to investigate the alleged diversion of N33.75bn meant for cash transfers to poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
In a statement issued on Sunday, he urged the anti-graft agency to work with the Auditor-General for the Federation to recover the money and prosecute public officials found guilty.
Falana said the Auditor-General’s 2024 Annual Report on Non-Compliance/Internal Control Weaknesses in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government raised serious concerns about the management of funds intended to alleviate poverty and support vulnerable Nigerians. In his words:
“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 N33.75 billion 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.”
The lawyer highlighted that the National Social Investment Programme Agency was established as a statutory agency under the National Social Investment Programme Agency, NSIPA, Act 2022, during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He noted the lofty goals of the Act for the implementation of programmes including 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.
However, Falana regretted that the management of the programmes had been ruined by corruption.
He recalled that the pioneer Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, was investigated by the EFCC over alleged money laundering involving more than N37.1bn.
He further recalled that in April 2026, a Federal Capital Territory High Court issued an arrest warrant against Farouq and her former Permanent Secretary, Bashir Nura Alkali, following their repeated failure to appear for arraignment.
Falana also referenced the scandal involving former Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Betta Edu, who was suspended in January 2024 after a leaked December 2023 memo directed the Accountant-General of the Federation to transfer N585m in public intervention funds into a private bank account.
The lawyer said the former Chief Executive Officer of NSIPA, Halima Shehu, was also suspended and questioned over alleged suspicious movement of funds.
He said the EFCC should conclude its investigation into the allegations involving Edu and Shehu so that the public could 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.”
He noted the Federal Government’s introduction of tighter beneficiary-tracking mechanisms, including requirements for beneficiaries to link their profiles with their Bank Verification Numbers and National Identification Numbers.
The measures, he said, were also designed to eliminate ghost beneficiaries and improve accountability in the disbursement of social protection funds.
Falana, however, said the latest revelation by the Auditor-General showed that significant questions remained about the effectiveness of the systems put in place to track social investment funds.
He also expressed concern over the planned implementation of a $3.05bn development package unveiled by President Bola Tinubu in July 2026.
According to him, the package, supported by the World Bank, is intended to deepen poverty reduction, strengthen human capital development and expand economic opportunities across the country.
Falana said the Federal Government must ensure that the funds are not subjected to the same alleged abuses that had characterised previous social investment programmes.
He urged the government to establish an independent mechanism involving credible civil society organisations to oversee the disbursement of the funds to poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
“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.”
Falana further claimed that the World Bank had concluded arrangements to withdraw the funds if the Federal Government failed to prevent officials from allegedly diverting resources meant for poverty reduction.
The latest controversy comes amid renewed efforts by the Federal Government and development partners to strengthen Nigeria’s social protection system and ensure that interventions reach intended beneficiaries.
The Auditor-General’s finding places fresh pressure on the government and anti-corruption agencies to establish what happened to the N33.75bn and determine whether the failure to account for the funds resulted from administrative weaknesses, fraud or criminal diversion.
By Nick Ibe, Abuja
To cushion the harsh impact of rising living costs, the Federal Government has approved a N70,000 monthly transport intervention for public service workers across all levels for six months, beginning in November 2026, .
This was one of the outcomes of the conciliation meeting between the Federal Government and the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in Abuja on Tuesday, following renewed pressure from organised labour over the rising cost of living, workers’ welfare and outstanding agreements.
The government also approved the payment of peculiar allowance arrears, effective from May 1, 2026, in three equal monthly instalments beginning in November.
The parties did not agree on the effective date for implementing the national minimum wage, but agreed that the Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee would be constituted and commence meetings immediately.
The resolutions were contained in a memorandum of understanding signed at the end of the meeting by the Director-General of Budget, Timi Yakubu; NLC President, Joe Ajaero; the Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare Office, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Garba Abdul S.U.; and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi.
The document made public after the meeting was tagged: ‘Resolutions Reached at a Conciliation Meeting Held at Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment Between the Federal Government and the Leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress on Tuesday, 27th October, 2026’, outlined agreements on minimum wage negotiations, transport support, outstanding allowances, health workers’ remuneration, tax relief and hazard allowances for agricultural officers.
The meeting followed an earlier conciliation session held on October 22, 2026, convened by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to address disagreements between the government and organised labour.
On the transport intervention, the document stated, “That transport intervention of Seventy Thousand Naira (N70,000) commencing from November 2026 would be paid across all levels for a period of six months.”
The agreement trails high transportation costs and the prices of other essential goods following the removal of the petrol subsidy in May 2023, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Organised labour has repeatedly demanded measures to ease the economic pressure on workers, including reductions in petrol prices, improved wages and the implementation of outstanding welfare agreements.
The memorandum also noted the NLC leadership’s concerns about the government’s handling of its demands.
Addressing the disagreement, it stated that the NLC leadership “expressed concern over the Federal Government’s attitude towards the above issues.”
It added that the Federal Government, in response, “stated that it fully respects the right of the Congress to advocate for improved working conditions for Nigerian workers, and is genuinely trying to address every aspect of it through a structured intervention.”
On the national minimum wage, the parties agreed that the Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee would be constituted and commence meetings immediately.
However, the effective date of implementation remained unresolved.
The document stated, “It was agreed that the Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee would be constituted and commence meeting immediately. It should however be noted that there is a disagreement on the effective date of implementation.”
The disagreement leaves a key issue outstanding despite the commitment to begin negotiations without delay.
The national minimum wage became a major issue in 2024 when the Federal Government and organised labour negotiated an increase in the statutory minimum monthly wage from N30,000 to N70,000. The new rate was subsequently enacted into law through the National Minimum Wage Act.
The latest agreement refers to further discussions and the implementation date of the national minimum wage but does not provide details of the specific proposal under consideration or when the parties expect to conclude the negotiations.
The agreement indicates that while the government has approved some financial interventions, other workers’ demands remain subject to further negotiations, administrative verification or decisions by relevant government bodies.
“Trump… Please bring my son back to me. I am begging you for mercy.” And what Trump did when he heard those words… may bring tears to your eyes.
Her name was Malphine. She was 95 years old. A mother who had spent years waiting. Hoping. Praying. And one day… she finally got the chance to meet Trump. And stood before him. With all the strength she had left. And spoke the only words in her heart. Please. Bring my son home.
And Trump looked at this 95-year-old mother. Held her hands. And gave her a promise. I will bring your son home.
And Malphine held on to that promise. The way only a mother of 95 can hold on to something. When hope is all she has left.
Days went by. Weeks went by. And then one morning… the news finally arrived. Her son Marc was coming home. After years away. After years inside a foreign prison. After years of a mother waking up every single day, wondering whether she would ever get to hold her child again.
He stepped off that plane. And returned home. And when Marc’s feet finally touched American soil… Trump was there. In person. To welcome him. To embrace him. To look him in the eyes and say… welcome home. America has not forgotten you.
And in that single embrace…
Trump showed the world something that no speech and no rally could ever truly express: That America cares about its people. Wholeheartedly. Unconditionally. And never gives up fighting for them.
And today… I sat thinking about that story. And remembered every harsh word I had ever spoken about this man. Every judgment. Every doubt. Every moment I chose to look away. And I felt something I can hardly describe. Deep shame.
Because Malphine trusted Trump at 95 years old. With all the hope she had left. And he helped bring her son home.
Today… this is the side of Trump that so many people may never take the time to see.
Not the Trump in the headlines. Not the Trump on the rally stage. Just a man. Who listened to a 95-year-old mother pleading for her son. Worked to help answer her prayers. And personally showed up to welcome him home.
If this story touched your heart today… let God and every American reading this feel your .
And tell me honestly, in your own words — after reading this… can you still speak badly about President Trump? Because I truly find it difficult to do so. Not anymore. Not after hearing this story.
Sons of Liberty. Maga Movement
–Calls for NSCDC reforms, compensation for victims
By Son Tertsea, Abuja
Dehydration was cause of the death of the detained miners, the panel constituted to investigate the deaths of alleged illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Niger State Command, has stated.
The chairman of the committee, Jonathan Kure, while presenting the report to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in Abuja on Tuesday, , said the miners suffered acute respiratory failure.
He also corrected the earlier reports that 37 miners died in custódy, saying 33 miners were confirmed dead.
He said the miners collapsed after calling for water and were ignored by the personnel of the NSCDC.
He added that the detention room was overcrowded and poorly ventilated.
He said the miners were illegally arrested and detained, stressing that they were all detained beyond the legally allowed period.
Part of the panel’s report called for a total reform of the NSCDC as well as solicited compensation for the victims.
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