The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has begun investigation into an alleged multi-billion fraud petition against officials of the Kosofe Local Government Area, Lagos State, SaharaReporters has gathered.

Ganiyu Olamiji Oyebanjo, the Special Adviser, Boundary Matters in the council had petitioned the anti-graft agency. 

SaharaReporters earlier reported how Oyebanjo was arrested by policemen from Zone 2 in Lagos over the petition.

He had narrated how the Chairman of Kosofe Local Government, Moyosore Adedoyin Ogunlewe bought a property worth N800 million allegedly with funds diverted from council treasury.

In the petition obtained by SaharaReporters, Oyebanji also accused Ogunlewe of buying a Black Toyota Camry with registration number, KJA 709 JD worth millions of Naira to one Ibraheem Adisa Mustapha “so that he won’t contest against his (Ogunlewe) second term bid.”

“It is against this premise that I have been encouraged to present this petition to intimate you on the reckless looting of the treasury of kosofe local government by the present administration, led by Hon. Barr. Moyosore Adedoyin Ogunlewe and his local government functionaries,” part of the petition read.

“It is not out of place to mention that the local government is not finding it easy financially as a result of the reckless way the resources of the local government were handled by the present administration. The cost of projects, were over-priced, the Exco minutes doctored and manipulated. 

“Purchase and Procurement not properly followed. No Exco member, knows anything about the financial programs of the council, and many more. I will also want this Honourable Institution, to ask the Executive Chairman of Kosofe Local Government, Barrister. Moyosore Adedoyin Ogunlewe, to explain how he has been spending both Federal Allaocation and the Internally Generated Revenue of the Local Government since he assumed office as the Chairman.

“In recent days, due to intimidation,coercion, force, threats, suspension and total sack by the Executive Chairman, Hon. Barrister, Moyosore Adedoyin Ogunlewe, some of the Excomembers yielded to him and decided to play along with him. For these reasons, I have attached all WhatsApp chats and voice notes from the platform I created on my phone, for the Supervisors and Special Advisers. There you will hear and read the comments of each and everyone of us. In case any one of them wants to deny due to financial inducements or bowing to threats. 

“Everything is in a flashdrive here attached. For your speedy operation and investigation, I have added their full details and phone contacts to this petition. Also attached, is the signature we all signed to this petition, before they broke apart. No Executive member of the local government, knows anything about all the EXTRACTS and payments made in these documents

“I will also want to inform this Honourable Institution that the Civil Servants, that gets this documents to me was arrested by the Executive Chairman of the Council and handed over to the Police authority in Area “H” Ojota/Ogudu, directly opposite the local government Secretariat. He was detained on the 8th, June, (Saturday) till 10th June (Monday), 2024. He was beaten and seriously tortured, that he had to confess to the Police before the Chairman, some documents which he had given to me.

“Ever since this incident happened, the Chairman,told the Civil Servant in the Police Stattion that he was going to kill the two of us. I had to take cover and ran to my inlaw in Delta State. I left Lagos on the 10th, June 2024, when some Police officers from Area ‘H’ in Ogudu, came to look for me at home. Several threats made to me on phone from unknown and unidentified callers. Strange faces seen in the mosque where I usually pray my daily prayers. I came back to Lagos on the 5th of July 2024.

“Some of the documents, especially the EXTRACTS, were quickly doctored and written again. All the EXTRACTS, presently here, and the approval they claimed was made by the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, was all lies. There was never a time, when projects were ever discussed in the Exco meeting. There was never a time where the Chairman, ever made mentioned of the Allocation or the Internal Generated Revenue.

“No Exco Member knows the financial situation of the local government. To make the work of this highly respected Institution quicker, faster and efficient, I have added here the names of some of the council staff that should be invited for questioning. I have also included the name of the Exco Minutes Recorder, who was used to write a new Exco Minutes after the original minutes from the Exco Sitting. Attached are the signatures of the other Exco Members.”

It read further, “Some of the fictitious contracts awarded without due consultation and the knowledge of the Executive members include the following:

“EXTRACT OF THE MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON MONDAY 16TH, OCTOBER 2023 AT THE NULGE CONFERENCE HALL KOSOFE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXAPPROVAL MADE BY THE COMMITTEE. Where it was written that the Executive Committee Resolved to spend the sum of Nine Million, Five Hundred and Twenty Thousand, Eight Hundred and Twenty Seven Naira- Two Kobo. (21,839,560:00). Nothing of this was ever discussed in the Exco meeting, talkless of resolving to spend the money.

“EXTRACT OF THE MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 15TH, MARCH, 2024 AT THE NULGE CONFERENCE HALL, KOSOFE. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX That the sum of Eleven Million, Nine Hundred and Ten Thousand, Three Hundred and Sixty Seven Naira Thirty- Five Kobo (11,910,367:35 only. There was no time anything like was deliberated at the Exco Meeting. Neither is it in our Excominutes.

“EXTRACT OF THE MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON MONDAY 16TH, OCTOBER 2023 AT THE NULGE CONFERENCE HALL KOSOFE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT.

The sum of Twenty-Six Million, Three Hundred and Seventy- Three Thousand, Six Hundred and Eight Naira. (26,373, 608:00. This never existed. There was no time the Exco deliberated on this.

“EXTRACT OF THE MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 15TH, MARCH, 2024 AT THE NULGE CONFERENCE HALL, KOSOFE 

. The sum of Twelve Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand, Six Hundred and Sixty- Three Naira Fifty- Six Kobo (12,250, 663:56. This was also never deliberated or discussed in the Exco Meeting. 

“EXTRACT OF THE MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON WEDNESDAY 24TH JANUARY, 2024 AT THE NULGE CONFERENCE HALL KOSOFE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. The sum of Thirty Million Naira be approved for the Award of Contract for supply of Two (2) Transformers. This was never brought to the knowledge of the Executive Committee. 

“EXTRACT OF THE MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 15TH, MARCH 2024, AT THE NULGE CONFERENCE HALL, KOSOFE 

The sum of Thirty Million Naira (30,000,000) only was approved for the Award of Contract for the supply of Two (2) Transformers to Sosanya Street Ifako.

It was never brought to the knowledge of any Exco Member. 

“EXTRACT OF THE MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 13TH, FEBRUARY, 2024 AT THE NULGE CONFERENCE HALL KOSOFE 

The sum of Thirty Million (30,000,000: 00) was said to be resolved to be spent on the supply of Two Transformers. It was a total lie. The Executive members were not aware.

“The fictitious school debate in 2023, where the Chairman spent Five Hundred Thousand Naira (500,000). The Quiz Competition where the Chairman said he spent Five Hundred Thousand Naira (500,000). The three day Seminar and workshop where the Chairman also spent Five Hundred Thousand (500,000). All these were not true. He only collected the money without any of the mentioned events. The Chairman claimed to have spent the total sum of Eleven Million, Five Hundred and Sixty Two Thousand and Five Hundred Naira (11,562, 500). This he said he spent on palliative. The ministry in charge should be invited to confirm. The Chairman, claimed he sponsored the Chairman Football Competition for Fifteen Million Naira (15,000,000), where the winner of the competition was given One Million Naira (1,000,000). He also claimed he organised a 5 Day Workshop on Curbing Covetousness for Twenty Four Million, Seven Hundred Thousand (24.7 Million). This workshop, was a false and lies from the pit of Hell. Nothing of such happened in the council. He spent N8.9 Million Naira to partition the Council Manager’s office. In all these, none of Exco members were aware, neither was it deliberated or discussed at the Exco Meeting. 

“Local Government Guidelines of Lagos State, page 11 section 15.2, states that: Subject to the policies laid down by the local government/ local council development Area, the Executive Committee shall be responsible for: (a) Regulation and control of the finances of the local government/ local council development Area. There was no time the Exco Members was involved or informed of the finances of the local government. 

“Page 12, section 16.0 states that: The forum of the Executive Committee shall be used among other things to regulate expenditure and relate contract award to liquidity reflected through cash flow situation compiled by the Treasurer who must be in attendance to advise in financial regulations. Contracts shall be awarded to competent contractors after all due process for procurement and a certified professional submission of the Local Government Engineer in all areas related engineering works have carried out in accordance with the procurement law. None of this ever happened. 

“(c) All contracts awarded not supported by any Executive Committee Resolution must not be honoured for payment. No contract was brought to the awareness or notice of the Excomembers. Page 12 (f) states that: Communication of the decision of the Executive Council to the concerned agencies, organizations and persons, including the decisions on the award of contract. There was no time we had a decision to award any contract. 

“Page 12 section 17.1 states that: The Local Government/ Local Council Area shall establish a Departmental Standing Committee in each department which shall meet at least twice a month and as exigency demands to recommend departmental projects for Executive Committee consideration and approval. We don’t have a Departmental Standing Committee in the local government, talkless of consideration and approval. 

“Page 14 (viii): No funds shall be released except through payment vouchers certified by the Internal Auditor and Extract from the Executive Council decisions. This also was not in place.

“Page 9 section (4) states that: The Supervisors/ Special Advisers shall be closely involved in the management of their respective Departments/ Units and shall- 

“Page 10 (i) Serve as the political heads of their respective Departments/ Units. Page 10(iv) states that: The Supervisors and Special Advisers, shall assist the Chairman to Supervise the execution of Local Government/ Local Council Development Area within their respective Departments and Units.

“Page 12 (f) States that: it is the statutory duty of all officers of the Local Government to raise audit alarm in this regard. That is, if the stipulated rules and regulations are not strictly adhered and followed by any Executive Chairman. 

“19.2 Subsection (viii) No funds shall be released except through payment vouchers certified by the Internal Auditor and Extract from the Executive Council decisions. This has never happened before. 

“(V) All payments made due to exigencies in between conveyance of Committee meeting, must be brought for consideration and approval of the Committee by the Treasurer. This has never happened for once under the watch of Honourable Moyosore Adedoyin Ogunlewe, the Executive Chairman of Kosofe Local Government.

“The sum of Twenty Six Million Five Hundred and Eighty- Nine Thousand Five Hundred and Ninety- Six Naira (26, 589, 596.00). He should be asked when this was discussed or deliberated in the Exco meeting. He said he used this to supply Security Equipment.

“The sum of Twenty- Three Million One Hundred and Twenty- One Thousand Three Hundred and Eighty Eight Naira (N23, 121, 388.00) only. This was never brought to the awareness or knowledge of the Executive members for deliberation.

“The football competition he organised for Fifteen Million, Twenty Eight Thousand Nine Hundred and One Naira. The winner of the competition, collected one Million Naira. Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand collected by the second team and Five Hundred Thousand Naira collected by the team that came third. The field was given for free, he should be asked how the remaining money was spent. No Exco member knows or heard about the competition until few days to the competition, talkless of deliberation and approval of the Committee. 

“He bought a Toyota Camry black colour to IBRAHEEM ADISA MUSTAPHA, from the council funds. He did this, so that he won’t contest against his second term bid. The registration number is KJA 709 JD. He has a property bought with over N800,000,000.00.”

(C) Sahara Reporters 

The Rivers State House of Assembly has given Governor Siminalayi Fubara 48 hours to present a new list of commissioner nominees.

In a letter dated March 5, the Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, accused Fubara of unlawfully swearing in 19 commissioners without undergoing the required screening and confirmation process by the legislature, which they argue violates the Nigerian Constitution.

The lawmakers further claimed that Fubara made multiple appointments to positions that legally require the Assembly’s approval before taking office. The letter cited several other constitutional violations, including Fubara’s failure to submit the nomination of an attorney-general and commissioner for justice to the Assembly before appointing and swearing in Dagogo Iboroma to the position.

Other commissioners listed in the letter include Charles O. Beke, Collins Onunwo, Solomon Eke, Peter Medee, Elloka Tasie-Amadi, Basoene Joshua Benibo, Tambari Sydney Gbara, Ovy Orluideye Chinendum Chukwuma, Illamu Arugu, Rowland Obed Whyte, Samuel Anya, Samuel Eyiba, Austin Emeka Nnadozie, Israel Ngbuelu, Evans Bipi, Otamiri Ngubo, Benibo Alabraba, and Emmanuel Frank-Fubara.

The letter also highlighted additional infractions, including the swearing-in of Lawrence Oko-Jaja as Chairman and several other members of the Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement without the mandatory screening and confirmation by the Assembly, as stipulated in the Rivers State Public Procurement Law No. 4 of 2008.

Similarly, the appointment of Goodlife Ben as Chairman and several other members of the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission was done without Assembly confirmation, violating Section 44(3) of the Rivers State Local Government Law No. 5 of 2018.

The letter concluded by demanding that the Governor submit a list of new commissioner nominees, along with nominees for other positions requiring Assembly approval, within 48 hours. The House emphasized that these violations not only undermine the law but also threaten the integrity of the state’s democracy, urging the Governor to comply with the 1999 Constitution and other relevant laws for the benefit of the people of Rivers State.

In a related development, the Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of the Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly, ordering all elected members to resume sitting.

Additionally, the Court upheld a Federal High Court ruling that prevents the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant-General of the Federation from releasing statutory monthly allocations to Rivers State. The Court also nullified the October 5, 2024, local government election in the state.

The Rivers State House of Assembly has summoned the chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), Justice Adolphus Enebeli (retd.), to appear before it within 48 hours to address concerns about the 2024 local government elections.

The assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, warned that failure to comply would result in an arrest warrant for Enebeli.

The House also resolved to formally request Governor Siminalayi Fubara to submit the names of commissioners not screened by the Assembly. This development follows RSIEC’s announcement on Wednesday of 9 August 2025 as the date for fresh local government council elections in the state.

Justice Enebeli made the announcement during a stakeholders’ meeting and the unveiling of the 2025 election timetable. He reiterated RSIEC’s commitment to a fair, credible, and impartial election, urging political parties to adhere to the guidelines.

Justice Enebeli made the announcement during a stakeholders’ meeting and the unveiling of the 2025 election timetable. He reiterated RSIEC’s commitment to a fair, credible, and impartial election, urging political parties to adhere to the guidelines

The Supreme Court had earlier on Friday nullified the October 5, 2024, local government elections, citing a violation of Section 150 of the Electoral Act. The court’s decision led to the dismissal of the 23 Local Government Area chairmen elected in that process.