Court strikes out suit seeking FG’s release of NDDC audit report 

A Federal High Court holden in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has struck out a suit seeking the release of reoort of the forensic audit carried out in the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.

The suit was filed by Paul Arochukwu Ogbonna, and one other, who are representing a Non-government Organisation, Social Action, against the Attorney General of the Federation over the continued delay in making the report public.

The plaintiffs had in 2022 after Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs declined to furnish them with the report of the Forensic Audit, filed the suit requesting the court to mandate the Ministry of Nigeria Delta Affairs, then, headed by Godswill Akpabio, now the Senate President to furnish them with the report.

It will be recalled that President Bola Tinubu upon resumption of office scrapped the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, a development which prompted the representatives of Social Action to amend their processes and joined the Attorney General of the Federation as the legal authority of the country.

However, the presiding judge, Justice Turaki Mohammed, in his judgement in Port Harcourt, Tuesday, struck out the suit on the grounds that the suit was filed against an agency of the government that is nonexistent. 

Speaking outside the courtroom, counsel for the plaintiffs, Victor Nweke, expressed displeasure over the decision of the court, disclosing their readiness to appeal the judgement to ensure that the rights of his clients are not denied.

Also on his part, one of the plaintiffs, Ogbonna, who heads the legal department of Social Action in Rivers State, said the suit is one of their efforts in keeping their anti corruption campaign.

He regretted the position of the court, insisting that it was within their right as a body to know what has happened to millions of naira invested into NDDC through the report of the forensic audit.