The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to immediately enforce a court judgment compelling him and President Bola Tinubu to publish the names of individuals indicted in the alleged misappropriation of N6 trillion linked to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The judgment, delivered on 10 November by Justice Gladys Olotu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, followed a Freedom of Information suit filed by SERAP. The court ordered the government to widely publish the names of those implicated in abandoned NDDC projects—13,777 in total—undertaken between 2000 and 2019, and to make public the long-awaited NDDC forensic audit report submitted in September 2021.
In a letter dated 13 December and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation accused the government of ignoring a binding court order. SERAP said the failure to acknowledge and enforce the judgment undermines the rule of law and Nigeria’s constitutional framework.
Citing Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, SERAP stressed that court decisions must be enforced by all authorities without exception. It warned that continued non-compliance could expose responsible officials to contempt proceedings and personal liability.
SERAP argued that the Attorney General, as the nation’s chief law officer, has a duty to advise the President to comply with judicial decisions and act in the public interest. The group said defiance of the judgment fuels corruption and impunity across ministries, departments and agencies.
The organisation also pointed to Nigeria’s international obligations on transparency and accountability, insisting that obedience to the ruling would restore public trust and reinforce confidence in the Tinubu administration’s anti-corruption commitments.
Quoting the Supreme Court’s decision in Governor of Lagos State v. Ojukwu, SERAP reminded the government that the rule of law requires the state to be subject to the law, warning that disobedience of court orders “invites anarchy”.
SERAP gave the Attorney General seven days to act, vowing to pursue contempt proceedings if the judgment remains unenforced.
