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.