SERAP Sues FG For Not Releasing Names Of Looters

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued the Federal Government for not releasing the names of those who stole money from the country’s coffers.

SERAP wants the court to determine ‘Whether by virtue of the provision of section 4(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2011, the Defendants are under an obligation to provide the Plaintiff with the information requested for.’

They also want the court to declare that ‘by virtue of the provisions of Section 4 (a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2011, the Defendants are under a binding legal obligation to provide the Plaintiff with up to date information relating to the following:

‘To widely disseminate, including on a dedicated website, information about the names of high ranking public officials from whom public funds were recovered since May 2015, and the circumstances under which stolen public funds were returned.’

Premium Times also reports that SERAP had earlier made a FREEDOM OF Information request to the minister of information, Lai Mohammed, asking for ‘information about the names of high ranking public officials from whom public funds were recovered and the circumstances under which funds were recovered, as well as the exact amount of funds recovered from each public official.’

President Muhammadu Buhari, during his maiden media chat in December 2015, said that names of those who returned looted public funds would not be divulged, pending the determination of cases in courts.