Ogoni group seeks court injunction to block HYPREP from accessing N62.5b over alleged fraud

Afrik24 – The Ogoni Liberation Initiative (OLI) has filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an interlocutory injunction to restrain officials of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) and other key government entities from accessing or utilizing a whopping ₦62.55 billion.

The disputed sum was recently approved as a cost variation for projects that are alleged to have already been completed.

​According to a press statement signed by Dr. Douglas Fabeke, Convener of the Ogoni Liberation Initiative, the legal action under suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1524/26 targets HYPREP, its Project Coordinator, the Chairman of the HYPREP Board of Trustees, and the Head of the Accounts Department.

Also dragged before the court are the Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Environment, the statement reads.

However, the OLI, through its legal counsel, contends that the multibillion-naira variation is irregular, lacks due process, and represents a blatant misappropriation of funds meant for the clean-up and environmental remediation of Ogoniland.

​Fabeke in the statement also revealed that the organization has already submitted documentary evidence of the alleged fraudulent financial transactions within HYPREP to the Federal High Court, criticizing the relevant National Assembly Committee for failing to release the report of its oversight findings.

According to him, those legislative findings allegedly revealed that over ₦400 billion in project funds could not be accounted for, he said.

​Lamenting the plight of his people, Fabeke described the situation in the Niger Delta as heartbreaking, noting that while billions of Naira are routinely budgeted, local communities continue to languish in pollution and poverty, vowing that the OLI will pursue the matter diligently in domestic courts and, if necessary, escalate the battle to international legal and human rights platforms to ensure accountability.

Our correspondent reports that in addition to the restraining order, the group is demanding the immediate removal of the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, accusing him of involvement in multiple fraudulent activities running into billions of Naira, as well as a persistent refusal to engage with or respond to official correspondence from concerned stakeholders.

Fabake restated its commitment to using peaceful advocacy and the rule of law to secure environmental justice for the Ogoni people.