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The Orluzurumee Youth Assembly has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seeking an investigation into the alleged diversion, misappropriation and unlawful expenditure of ₦118.1 billion received by the 12 local government councils in Orlu Senatorial Zone of Imo State between September 2024 and June 2026.
The youth organisation, through its solicitors, Sandalwoods Solicitors, accused the outgoing chairmen of the councils of failing to account for the funds despite formal demands for information on the allocations and how they were spent.
In the petition dated October 9, 2026, and addressed to the EFCC chairman, the organisation said the funds were public resources intended for the development of communities across the 12 local government areas.
It urged the anti-graft agency to investigate the receipt and utilisation of the money, examine the relevant financial records and prosecute anyone found culpable.
According to the petition, official records obtained from the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation showed that the councils collectively received ₦118,100,198,857 within the period under review.
The organisation said it had a direct interest in how the funds were applied because they were meant to provide essential infrastructure and improve the welfare of residents in the communities.
It stated that, relying on the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, it had submitted written requests to each of the councils for details of their allocations, expenditure records and the manner in which the funds had been utilised.
The petitioners said the requests were acknowledged at the respective council offices, but none of the chairmen provided a substantive response.
They subsequently issued a five-day public ultimatum demanding a comprehensive account of all funds received and spent during the chairmen’s tenure. However, according to the petition, the chairmen failed to comply.
The organisation deemed the failure to provide the requested information as refusal under Section 7(4) of the Freedom of Information Act.
Giving reasons for seeking the EFCC’s intervention, the petitioners alleged that several communities across the senatorial zone remained without motorable roads, potable water and adequate healthcare and educational facilities, while young people continued to lack empowerment opportunities.
They, however, acknowledged that poor infrastructure alone did not establish that a criminal offence had been committed.
The petition stated that the situation, when considered alongside the substantial allocations reportedly received, the absence of satisfactory explanations for their utilisation and the failure to respond to formal requests for financial information, provided sufficient grounds for an independent investigation.
The youth organisation expressed concern that the funds might have been diverted or spent on inflated or fictitious contracts, including payments for projects that were never executed.
It also warned that the outgoing status of the council chairmen created a risk that relevant financial records could be lost or altered, urging the EFCC to intervene urgently to preserve evidence and protect public funds.
Consequently, the petitioners requested that the commission investigate the allocations received by each of the 12 councils between September 2024 and June 2026, including their bank accounts, contracts, payment vouchers and projects reportedly executed.
They further asked the commission to invite the chairmen and other responsible officials to account for the funds, take steps to preserve relevant records, prevent the dissipation of any assets traceable to the alleged wrongdoing and recover any money found to have been diverted or misappropriated and prosecute all persons found culpable under the relevant laws.
The organisation said its action was taken in the public interest and in line with Section 24(e) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which it cited in support of citizens’ responsibility to assist lawful agencies in maintaining law and order.
It also expressed readiness to provide the EFCC with relevant evidence and cooperate with the commission during the investigation.
Breakdown of allocations
The schedule attached to the petition listed the allocations reportedly received by the 12 councils as follows:
Ohaji/Egbema: ₦11.106 billion
Ideato South: ₦10.522 billion
Ideato North: ₦10.453 billion
Isu: ₦10.270 billion
Oguta: ₦10.264 billion
Orlu: ₦9.871 billion
Njaba: ₦9.866 billion
Orsu: ₦9.503 billion
Nwangele: ₦9.488 billion
Oru West: ₦9.480 billion
Oru East: ₦8.764 billion
Nkwerre: ₦8.513 billion
The figures, attributed in the petition to records from the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, amount to ₦118,100,198,857.
The petition was signed by Emmanuel C. Osi, Esq., on behalf of Sandalwoods Solicitors.
The allegations remain claims made in the petition and have not, on the basis of the document provided, been independently established. The document does not indicate whether the EFCC has commenced an investigation or whether the affected council chairmen have responded to the allegations.
