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In what may become one of Nigeria’s most consequential corruption cases in recent history, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) and the Coalition of National Civil Society Organisations Against Inept Leaders have jointly submitted a petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), calling for an immediate and comprehensive investigation into what they describe as massive looting, gross mismanagement, and flagrant abuse of public trust by Dr. Bashir Yusuf Jamoh, the immediate past Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

The petition, dated May 20 and officially received by the ICPC on May 21, 2025, alleges that Dr. Jamoh was at the center of a ₦300 billion corruption scandal during his tenure from March 2020 to March 2024.

The petitioners accuse Dr. Jamoh of orchestrating a wide-ranging scheme of financial recklessness, including the award of grossly inflated contracts, illegal recruitment exercises, nepotistic appointments, diversion of public funds, and unlawful fiscal activities that they claim have had far-reaching consequences for Nigeria’s maritime sector and broader economy.

The groups point to a pattern of deliberate misconduct, citing examples such as the leasing of speedboats at an exorbitant cost exceeding $12.5 million annually to a firm previously indicted for fraud, the unlawful promotion of a $175 million security project without legislative appropriation, and a secret recruitment of over 500 individuals into the agency outside federal civil service guidelines.

They also highlight how NIMASA’s training budget inexplicably ballooned from ₦66 million in 2019 to ₦1.6 billion by 2021 without tangible results, suggesting large-scale embezzlement. Additionally, they referenced the December 2023 fine of ₦500 million imposed on the agency by the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria for submitting fraudulent financial statements under Dr. Jamoh’s watch—a decision that led to his disqualification from certifying financial reports in Nigeria.

Moreover, funds allocated to construct the Senate Building at the Nigerian Maritime University in Okerenkoko remain unaccounted for, with the project still incomplete despite full disbursement, further deepening the petitioners’ concerns about widespread misappropriation.

In their formal appeal to the ICPC Chairman, the CNPP and the civil society coalition demand the immediate commencement of an investigation into Dr. Jamoh and all associated individuals, the freezing of all linked assets and accounts, the prosecution of those found culpable, and the full recovery of misappropriated public funds—estimated at over $200 million or approximately ₦300 billion—for remittance into the Federation Account.

They stress that these actions are critical not only for justice but for national economic survival, especially at a time when the country is increasingly reliant on external borrowing to finance basic infrastructure.

“Nigeria’s debt profile continues to rise at an unsustainable pace,” the petition warns. “At a time when the country is seeking loans to fund critical infrastructure, it is unconscionable for politically connected individuals to loot strategic agencies with impunity. Recovering stolen public funds from NIMASA is not just a legal imperative—it is an economic necessity and a moral obligation.”

The petitioners assert that swift and decisive action by the ICPC would send a strong message that abuse of public office will not go unpunished and that anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria remain credible.

As of press time, the ICPC has not issued an official statement regarding the petition. However, with the weight of the allegations and the estimated sum involved, the case is likely to draw significant public and institutional scrutiny in the coming weeks.

StreetReporters.ng

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