Tinubu, EFCC, ICPC Petitioned Over Alleged Benue Governor Financial Misconduct
- A civil society group had petitioned President Bola Tinubu, EFCC, ICPC, and NHRC over alleged corruption and human rights violations by Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia
- The group had accused the governor of mismanaging security votes, awarding inflated contracts, and withholding local government funds
- NTG had also raised concerns over killings, displacement of rural communities, and alleged denial of the scale of violence in the state
A civil society organisation, the Network for Transparent Governance, has petitioned President Bola Tinubu and key anti-corruption and rights agencies over allegations of financial misconduct and human rights violations against Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia.
The petition was submitted on December 10, 2025, and addressed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Source: Twitter
Signed by NTG President Dennis Agema and Secretary General Oliver Omenka, the open letter accused the governor of misappropriating public funds, abusing executive authority, breaching procurement laws, and failing in his constitutional responsibilities. The group said it acted out of concern for the state’s future.
“As patriotic sons of the state before it crumbles,” the letter stated, adding, “Let it be on record that while the plundering of Benue’s resources was ongoing, a group of concerned citizens raised the alarm.”
Security votes and alleged diversions
Central to the petition is the claim that Governor Alia approves a monthly security vote of N3.5 billion, described by the group as the highest in the North Central zone. NTG estimated that the figure translates to N105 billion between May 2023 and November 2025.
Despite the scale of spending, the organisation alleged the absence of visible results. It claimed there was “no verifiable procurement of operational security vehicles” and “no transparent evidence of sustained logistics funding for security agencies.”
The petition also alleged that no public audit trail had been released to account for the expenditure.
Source: Twitter
NTG further claimed that more than N700 billion in federal allocations, N85 billion in international donations, and about N2 billion monthly in internally generated revenue were being mismanaged.
It alleged that state accounts had remained inaccessible since May 2023. “Only the governor operates the accounts,” the group said.
Contracts, assets and local councils
The petition also questioned several contracts awarded under the current administration. NTG cited the rehabilitation of the 13 kilometre Wurukum to Airforce Base road, which it said was approved at N68.3 billion by the governor. According to the group, the State Public Procurement Commission only cleared N28 billion for the project.
Another project cited was a 14 kilometre road to the governor’s village, allegedly valued at N73 billion. NTG described the cost as inflated and unjustified. The group also accused the governor of purchasing a Bombardier Challenger 850 private jet for N11 billion.
Concerns were raised over local government finances, with NTG alleging that statutory allocations had been withheld for over two years. The group claimed councils were unable to carry out basic projects as a result. It also accused the Benue Investment and Property Company of operating private firms presented as state owned entities.
Human rights and formal demands
Beyond financial matters, NTG accused the governor of negligence in addressing attacks on rural communities. It alleged mass killings, village destruction, and large scale displacement. The group criticised comments attributed to the governor that “there is no religious genocide in Benue State” and that the violence amounted to “skirmishes,” describing them as dismissive of victims’ suffering.
NTG called on the EFCC to conduct a forensic probe into security votes and state accounts. It urged the ICPC to investigate procurement violations and asked the NHRC to hold public hearings and recommend remedies.
The organisation pledged cooperation with any inquiry. “The Network for Transparent Governance affirms its readiness to provide further documentation and testimonies, appear before investigative panels, and mobilize affected communities for lawful cooperation.”
Governor Alia had not responded publicly to the allegations at the time of reporting.
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Source: Legit.ng
