Court orders FG to publish report of forensic audit on NDDC

A Federal High Court holden in Yenegoa Bayelsa State, has ordered the Government to publish report of the forensic audit conducted on the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.

This was following suit number FHC/YNG/CS/135/2021 instituted by Odighon Nwadighi Adienbo (For herself and on behalf of the Wailing Women of Niger Delta), The Integrity Friends for Truth and Peace Initiative, Peace Ossy, Utibe Benedict.

Others are Mrs Beatrice Iyoung, Juliana Alagoa, Loveth Timothy, Loveth Kekghe, Osaruchi Idumesaro, Modimu Beauty and Hon. Nkechi Umeozor.

The suit which sought five relives has the Attorney General of the Federation as the Respondent. A Certified True Copy of the judgement, obtained on e-copy format, showed that CTC was obtained on December, 9, whereas the judgement was delivered on the October 24, 2025, by Hon. Justice Isa Dashen.

Dashen in the judgement granted all the prayers of the applicants, was commenced through an Originating Motion dated and filed on the 14th day of April, 2022. The suit was filed pursuant to Section 14(1) of the Federal High Court Act, 1990, Order 34 Rules 1, 3(1) & (2) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2009, Sections 1(1), (2), 2(7), (3), (4)(a) and 20 of the Freedom of Information Act, Section 15(5) of the 1999 Constitution.

Dashen noted that ruled that all the grounds of application succeeded, although with slight adjustment on one of the issues sought. The judgment read: “Having carefully considered the affidavit evidence placed before this Court, the submissions of learned counsel on both sides, and the issues distilled and resolved in this ruling, it is manifest that the Applicants have substantially established their entitlement to the reliefs sought.

Accordingly, and for the avoidance of doubt, the orders of this Court are as follows: “RELIEF ONE SUCCEEDS. It is hereby ordered that the Respondent shall take immediate steps to ensure the dissolution of the sole administratorship of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the reconstitution of a governing Board in line with the provisions of the NDDC Act.

“RELIEF TWO SUCCEEDS. The Respondent is hereby directed to publish forthwith the forensic audit report of the NDDC for public access in the interest of transparency and accountability.

“RELIEF THREE SUCCEEDS IN PART. It is hereby ordered” that the Respondent shall within ninety (90) days cause the NDDC to render and publish a comprehensive account of funds received and expended by the Commission from the period of Prof. Nelson Brambaifa’s interim management to date.

“RELIEF FOUR SUCCEEDS. It is hereby ordered that the NDDC shall remain an independent statutory body as established by the NDDC Act and shall not be merged orsubsumed under any Ministry except by express amendment of the Act by the National Assembly.

“RELIEF FIVE SUCCEEDS. A perpetual injunction is hereby granted restraining the Respondent, his agents, privies, and any person acting under his authority from further constituting a sole administrator or interim management to run the affairs of the NDDC.”

The judge, however, ordered the Respondents to within 90 days from the day of judgement pay costs of #200,000.00 awarded against them, jointly and severally in favour of the Applicants.