The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has taken legal action against the Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, and the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) over an alleged failure to account for N128 billion in public funds. The lawsuit follows a series of troubling revelations in the Auditor-General’s latest annual report, which suggests that massive sums intended for the power sector may have been diverted or misappropriated.
The legal challenge filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeks to compel the Ministry and NBET to provide a transparent breakdown of how these funds were utilized. SERAP is asking the court to order the disclosure of specific contractors, beneficiaries, and the public officials who authorized the disbursements. This move comes at a sensitive time for the nation, as Nigerians recently experienced the first total grid collapse of 2026, a crisis many experts link to the systemic corruption hindering infrastructure maintenance.
The specifics of the Auditor-General’s report are particularly alarming. The findings indicate that over N95 billion was paid to various contractors for projects that reportedly do not exist, with no supporting documentation to prove the work was ever executed. Additionally, billions were allegedly moved into unnamed sub-accounts or paid out to power generation companies without any authenticating paperwork. Even smaller-scale spending has come under fire, including millions spent on unapproved foreign trips and over N110 million used for staff “promotion packages” at retail supermarkets with zero documentation.
Lawyers representing SERAP argue that the Nigerian public is being forced to bear the brunt of this financial mismanagement. While billions of naira go missing, ordinary citizens continue to face erratic power supply and “crazy” electricity bills. The suit maintains that uncovering the truth behind the missing N128 billion is essential for ending the culture of impunity that has plagued the power sector for years and for ensuring that funds meant for national development are actually used for that purpose.
Beyond project funds, the audit highlighted several procedural breaches, such as awarding legal fees without the Attorney General’s consent and bypassing competitive bidding processes for office equipment and vehicle procurements. The lawsuit contends that these actions violate the Nigerian Constitution and international anti-corruption standards, which require strict sanctions for the abuse of public trust.
As the country waits for a hearing date to be set, the outcome of this case is expected to have significant implications for transparency in Nigeria’s energy sector. For now, the focus remains on whether the Ministry of Power and NBET will be forced to open their books and explain why such a vast sum of money has seemingly vanished into thin air.
