……Rights group says alleged IMF findings point to a grave fiscal emergency, urges Tinubu, National Assembly and anti-graft agencies to launch immediate forensic investigation.
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called for an independent judicial probe into allegations that about ₦8.8 trillion in public expenditure was spent outside Nigeria’s official budget, describing the claims as a major threat to constitutional governance and fiscal accountability.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja and signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group said the reported findings from the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Article IV Consultation—which allegedly showed public expenditure equivalent to about two per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product was omitted from official budget documents—raise serious questions that cannot be ignored.
HURIWA said if the allegations are confirmed, they would amount to one of the most significant cases of fiscal opacity in Nigeria’s democratic history.
According to the group, no constitutional democracy can permit trillions of naira in public spending to occur outside the legally approved budget without legislative oversight, public accountability and constitutional scrutiny.
The organisation noted that the allegations, also highlighted by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, require far more than political exchanges or official denials.
It insisted that a transparent, independent forensic investigation must determine whether public funds were spent in breach of the Constitution, the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the Public Procurement Act and other extant financial laws.
HURIWA also dismissed the response attributed to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, as inadequate given the gravity of the allegations.
It argued that rather than offering broad assurances or technical explanations, the Federal Government should provide comprehensive documentary evidence showing the legal authority, appropriation approvals, expenditure records and complete audit trail for every kobo allegedly spent outside the published budget.
The rights group called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately establish an independent Judicial Commission of Inquiry comprising respected jurists, forensic auditors, chartered accountants, civil society representatives and financial crime experts to investigate the matter.
It also urged the National Assembly to exercise its constitutional oversight powers by conducting a comprehensive public hearing into the alleged off-budget expenditures.
HURIWA further called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation and other oversight agencies to commence coordinated forensic investigations.
The group maintained that if investigations establish criminal diversion, misappropriation or abuse of public funds, every indicted public official must be prosecuted irrespective of political status or influence.
It also demanded the full recovery of all public funds found to have been unlawfully diverted or expended outside constitutional safeguards, stressing that such monies should be returned to the Federation Account.
HURIWA said the controversy extends beyond politics, warning that it strikes at the core of constitutional governance, fiscal discipline and public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
The organisation urged the media, civil society groups, professional bodies, development partners and Nigerians to insist on a transparent, independent investigation free from political interference.
According to HURIWA, Nigeria’s democracy can only thrive where transparency prevails over secrecy, accountability replaces impunity, and public office remains a sacred trust rather than a vehicle for financial recklessness.
