The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has petitioned the United States Government, calling for visa revocation, asset forfeiture, and global sanctions against several Nigerian individuals accused of involvement in the diversion of security and arms procurement funds.
The petition, signed by HEDA’s Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, was addressed to the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria and the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Economic Sanctions Policy and Implementation. HEDA urged the U.S. Government to take action under Section 7031(c) of the U.S. Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, as well as the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
According to Suraju, the alleged diversion of billions of dollars earmarked for Nigeria’s national security and arms procurement has directly contributed to widespread insecurity, terrorism, and human rights violations across Nigeria and the West African sub-region.
HEDA referenced the “Dasuki-gate” arms procurement scandal and other military procurement fraud cases, arguing that the failure to equip Nigerian troops with funds approved for arms acquisition enabled the expansion of insurgent groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Suraju noted that domestic accountability efforts have been weakened by judicial technicalities, including the quashing or suspension of corruption trials on procedural and jurisdictional grounds.
The organisation identified several individuals it alleged were linked to the diversion of security funds. They include former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (retd.), who was implicated in an alleged ₦22.8 billion fraud involving Nigerian Air Force funds; former Sokoto State Governor, Attahiru Bafarawa, accused of benefiting from at least ₦4.6 billion traced to arms procurement funds; and former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, who was charged with laundering ₦6.9 billion, including funds allegedly sourced from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
Others named in the petition include former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah (retd.), over the alleged diversion of ₦13.8 billion meant for military hardware; Major Generals Akerejola and Adereti, over allegations of arms procurement fund diversion; and the late Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, whose estate was linked to the alleged receipt of ₦2.1 billion from ONSA funds originally earmarked for arms procurement.
While acknowledging that some of the cases resulted in acquittals, halted trials, or dropped charges, HEDA argued that such outcomes were largely based on procedural issues rather than substantive determinations on the allegations of corruption.
In its petition, the organisation called on the U.S. Government to revoke visas of the listed individuals and their immediate family members, initiate asset forfeiture proceedings through international cooperation, and impose heightened financial scrutiny to prevent further laundering of diverted Nigerian security funds.
“Allowing access to foreign visas and financial systems for individuals implicated in the diversion of security funds indirectly fuels insecurity in Nigeria. We are urging the U.S. Government to support transparency, accountability, and the protection of human rights by ensuring that those who profit from insecurity do not find safe haven abroad.” Suraju said.
