Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
A prominent Nigerian civil society organisation, the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), has formally petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accusing the Oyo State Government, led by Governor Seyi Makinde, of diversion, misapplication and criminal breach of trust in the handling of intervention funds meant for victims of the January 2024 Bodija explosion in Ibadan, Oyo State.
In a petition dated January 5, 2026 and addressed to the EFCC Chairman, Mr. Olanipekun Olukoyede, HEDA’s Chairman, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju, questioned how the N30 billion released by the Federal Government for compensation, reconstruction and emergency relief has been utilised. The humanitarian organisation said it was alarmed that only a relatively small portion of the funds — around N4.5 billion — was reportedly applied to direct relief and compensation, while the bulk of the N30 billion remained largely unaccounted for.
The funds were released after an explosion in the Bodija area of Ibadan in January 2024, which claimed lives and caused extensive property damage. HEDA’s petition claims that the state government failed to transparently disclose how the intervention funds were spent, and that the money was allegedly kept in a commercial bank for more than a year without public accounting. The group said the authorities provided no detailed breakdown of disbursements, expenditures or remaining balances, raising concerns about public financial transparency and accountability.
The controversy intensified after former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose publicly claimed that the Federal Government had released N50 billion for Bodija relief and reconstruction. HEDA pointed out that while some documents, including a memo from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, were released by Fayose showing evidence of the federal intervention, the exact amount released and its utilisation remained unclear. The Oyo State Government later acknowledged that it had received N30 billion — not N50 billion — and maintained that the money was still intact, awaiting further federal support.
In its petition, HEDA urged the EFCC to compel the Oyo State Government to publish a comprehensive public account of the funds received, including how much was spent, on what activities, and the status of any unspent portions. The organisation said that the lack of public disclosure of how these funds were managed “raises serious concerns bordering on corruption, abuse of office, diversion of public funds, criminal breach of trust, and possible money laundering” — all matters within the statutory mandate of the anti-graft agency.
The petition also stressed that, although the 1999 Constitution’s Section 308 confers immunity from prosecution to a sitting governor, such immunity does not prevent investigations into matters involving the management of public funds. HEDA urged the EFCC to undertake an impartial and thorough investigation into the receipt, management and utilisation of the federal intervention funds.
The Oyo State Government had previously responded to public inquiries by stating that the N30 billion remains untouched in a dedicated infrastructure support account, with officials saying that the balance of a N50 billion federal intervention package was withheld by federal agencies due to bureaucratic issues. According to state representatives, a larger portion of reconstruction and compensation efforts has been funded through the state’s own resources rather than the intact federal intervention funds.
HEDA’s action adds to ongoing public debate over accountability in the management of disaster intervention funds, as victims’ families, civil society groups and political actors continue to call for transparent disclosure and responsible stewardship of resources earmarked for vulnerable citizens affected by the Bodija explosion.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments