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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has dragged the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc before a Federal High Court in Abuja over the alleged failure to account for N128bn in public funds.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday, by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/143/2026, was filed last Friday following allegations contained in the Auditor-General of the Federation’s report published on September 9, 2025.
In the lawsuit, SERAP is seeking an order of mandamus compelling Adelabu and NBET to account for what it described as “the missing or diverted N128bn from the Ministry of Power and NBET.”
The organisation is also asking the court to direct the defendants to disclose “details of how the missing or diverted N128bn was spent, including the dates of disbursement and the purported beneficiaries or contractors who received the money.”
SERAP further urged the court to compel the disclosure of “the full names, official designations and offices of all public officers who authorised, approved or otherwise participated in the release of the missing or diverted N128bn.”
According to SERAP, Nigerians have continued to suffer the consequences of corruption in the electricity sector, particularly amid recurring grid collapses and erratic power supply.
“Nigerians continue to pay the price for the widespread and grand corruption in the power sector,” the group said, adding that “there is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these grave allegations.”
SERAP argued that granting the reliefs sought would help tackle systemic failures in the sector.
“Granting the reliefs sought would contribute to tackling corruption in the power sector and addressing the persistent breakdown of transmission lines in the country, as well as improving access of Nigerians to regular and uninterrupted electricity supply,” it stated.
The group further warned that corruption has deepened hardship for electricity consumers, noting that “ordinary Nigerians continue to pay the price for corruption in the electricity sector—staying in darkness, but still made to pay crazy electricity bills.”
The suit, filed by SERAP’s lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi and Andrew Nwankwo, relied heavily on findings from the Auditor-General’s 2022 audited report, which detailed multiple alleged financial irregularities involving the Ministry of Power and NBET.
SERAP cited provisions of the 1999 Constitution and international anti-corruption conventions, stressing that public institutions are legally bound to ensure transparency, accountability and the abolition of corrupt practices.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
