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) at the Federal High Court in Abuja, accusing them of failing to account for ₦128 billion allegedly missing or diverted from the Ministry of Power and NBET.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/143/2026 and filed last Friday, is based on findings in the Auditor-General of the Federation's latest annual report, published on September 9, 2025.
SERAP is seeking a court order of mandamus to compel Adelabu and NBET to:
Fully account for the ₦128 billion in public funds.
Disclose detailed information on how the money was spent, including dates of disbursement, names and addresses of purported beneficiaries or contractors, and their registered business details.
Reveal the full names, official designations, and offices of all public officers who authorized, approved, or participated in the release of the funds.
The organization argues that widespread corruption in the power sector significantly contributes to Nigeria's frequent national grid collapses, including the first incident of 2026 last week, which left millions in darkness.
SERAP emphasized that ordinary Nigerians bear the brunt of this alleged grand corruption enduring persistent blackouts while still facing high electricity bills highlighting a clear public interest in transparency and accountability.
The group contends that granting the requested reliefs would help combat impunity, strengthen anti-corruption efforts in the sector, address recurring transmission breakdowns, and improve access to reliable electricity nationwide.
The lawsuit, filed by SERAP lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi, and Andrew Nwankwo, describes the Auditor-General's allegations as a serious breach of public trust, the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and international anti-corruption standards.
This legal action follows SERAP's earlier January 2026 call for President Bola Tinubu to probe the matter and recover any diverted funds to support the national budget and debt relief efforts.
The Ministry of Power has previously stated that the audit issues relate to the 2022 financial year, predating Minister Adelabu's appointment in August 2023, and that he has no objection to investigations but maintains the allegations do not pertain to his tenure.
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