The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to order the investigation of alleged ₦57 billion of public funds “missing, diverted or stolen” in the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in 2021 under President Muhammadu Buhari government.

This was contained in a statement on Sunday by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.

SERAP urged the President to “direct the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and appropriate anti-corruption agencies” to probe the allegations.

The missing funds were captured in the 2021 audited report released last week by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.

SERAP said: “The allegations amount to stealing from the poor. There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these grave allegations.

“The allegations also suggest a grave violation of the public trust, the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended), the country’s anticorruption legislation, and international anticorruption obligations.”

According to SERAP, anyone found guilty should be punished by law, and “any missing public funds should be fully recovered and remitted to the treasury.”

The statement said: “Hundreds of billions of naira are also reportedly missing in other Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

“According to the 2021 annual audited report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, [the ministry] in 2021 failed to account for over N54 billion [N54,630,000,000.00] meant to pay monthly stipends to Batch C1 N-Power volunteers and non-graduate trainees between August and December 2021.

“The money was ‘not directly paid to the beneficiaries.’ The Auditor-General is concerned that the money ‘may have been diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury. He also wants suspected perpetrators of the diversion to be sanctioned in line with the Financial Regulations.”