Court dismisses suit seeking release of NDDC forensic audit report
Federal Court Dismisses Suit for NDDC Forensic Audit Report
A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has dismissed a lawsuit seeking the release of the forensic audit report for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The case was filed by Paul Arochukwu Ogbonna and another applicant on behalf of Social Action against the Attorney General of the Federation. The plaintiffs approached the court in 2022 after the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs failed to provide the report, requesting that the court compel its disclosure.
Following the dissolution of the ministry by President Bola Tinubu, the plaintiffs amended their suit to include the Attorney General as a defendant.
In a ruling on Tuesday, Justice Turaki Mohammed struck down the case, citing that it was initially filed against an agency that no longer exists.
Outside the courtroom, plaintiff’s counsel Victor Nweke expressed disappointment with the decision, stating they are considering further legal action. “We are not satisfied because we will come back. The matter was not dismissed; it was merely struck out,” he said. “We still have the power. The court has the requisite jurisdiction to equally entertain the matter again.”
Nweke indicated that the plaintiffs plan to refile the lawsuit, emphasizing the rights granted under the Freedom of Information Act of 2011, which stipulates that citizens are entitled to access documents held by public offices.
One of the plaintiffs, Ogbonna, reiterated that the legal action is part of a broader campaign against corruption, asserting that the public has a right to access the audit report.
