The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has accused the Federal Government of failing to fully comply with a Federal High Court judgment ordering disclosure of details surrounding the controversial $460 million Abuja CCTV project, saying authorities have admitted they possess no detailed records of local contractors who benefited from the project.
The rights group disclosed this in a statement following a response it received from the Federal Ministry of Finance in relation to ongoing contempt proceedings initiated over alleged non-compliance with the 2023 court judgment.
According to SERAP, the Ministry of Finance, in a letter dated May 15, 2026 and signed by the Permanent Secretary, R.O. Omachi, stated that records from the Ministry of Police Affairs showed that although local subcontractors “may have been engaged,” there were no detailed subcontracting records identifying specific Nigerian companies that directly received funds from the Chinese loan used to finance the project.
The project, officially known as the National Public Security Communication System, was conceived to strengthen surveillance, emergency response, and public safety in Abuja through installation of CCTV cameras and related communication infrastructure.
Reacting to the disclosure, SERAP described the absence of records as deeply troubling and inconsistent with transparency and accountability standards expected in the management of public funds.
In a follow-up letter dated May 23, 2026 and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said Nigerians still lacked critical information about the project despite a court judgment delivered nearly three years ago.
“We are concerned that although the judgment was delivered in May 2023, the Ministry only released some information after we commenced contempt proceedings and served a Notice to Show Cause in January 2026,” SERAP stated.
The organisation argued that the government’s response amounted only to “partial compliance” with the judgment delivered by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court on May 15, 2023.
The court had ordered the Ministry of Finance to disclose the total amount paid under the Abuja CCTV loan arrangement, identify both local and Chinese contractors involved in the project, provide details on implementation status, and clarify issues surrounding the reported N1.5 billion payment linked to the Code of Conduct Bureau headquarters project.
SERAP, however, maintained that significant gaps remain in the information released by the government.
According to the group, the Ministry failed to explain the whereabouts of 6,035 project items reportedly missing from inventory records connected to the CCTV project.
The organisation said records provided by the Ministry indicated that 61,970 items were delivered out of an expected 68,005 units, leaving thousands of items unaccounted for.
The missing items reportedly include communications equipment such as GOTA phones, data cards, servers, LED monitors, cables, and related infrastructure.
“It remains unclear whether the items were subsequently delivered, whether payment was made for them, whether the contractor defaulted, whether Nigeria suffered any financial loss, and whether any steps were taken to recover public funds,” SERAP said.
The group further questioned whether the CCTV cameras were ever fully installed and operational.
“The Ministry lists items reportedly delivered in 2013. However, it has failed to clarify how many cameras were installed, if any; where they were installed; whether the cameras are currently operational; and whether the project delivered value for money,” the organisation added.
SERAP stressed that the project was financed through public borrowing which Nigerians are still repaying, making full disclosure imperative.
The organisation warned that selective compliance with court orders could undermine the rule of law and weaken public confidence in democratic institutions.
“Government agencies cannot selectively comply with judicial orders or release partial information while withholding records central to public accountability,” the group stated.
SERAP also linked the demand for accountability to Nigeria’s worsening security challenges, particularly in Abuja and several states experiencing increasing cases of kidnapping, violent crimes, and attacks.
“The urgency of full disclosure is heightened by the continuing security crisis across Nigeria, including persistent insecurity in Abuja, where the project was specifically intended to strengthen surveillance, public safety, and emergency response,” it said.
According to SERAP, Nigerians deserve to know whether the huge public investment in the CCTV project achieved the intended security objectives.
“Where hundreds of millions of dollars were borrowed in the name of public safety, transparency is essential. Accountability becomes even more urgent when insecurity persists despite such significant public expenditure,” the organisation noted.
The group disclosed that the Federal Government confirmed receiving $399.5 million from the Export-Import Bank of China for the project, with the funds reportedly drawn in ten instalments between March 2011 and December 2013.
It added that the Federal Government also contributed $70.5 million as counterpart funding through the Ministry of Police Affairs, bringing the total project cost to about $470 million.
According to SERAP, the naira equivalent of the counterpart funding was put at N10.68 billion based on an exchange rate of N150 to one dollar, including a one percent commission paid to the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The Ministry reportedly identified Chinese telecommunications giant ZTE Corporation as the principal contractor for the project, with payments processed through the Bank of China, Shenzhen Branch.
The government also clarified that the controversial N1.5 billion mobilisation payment for the Code of Conduct Bureau headquarters project was unrelated to the Chinese loan arrangement.
SERAP has now given the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, 48 hours to provide full details of all Nigerian companies, subcontractors, consultants, and vendors involved in the project.
The organisation is also demanding disclosure of the exact amounts paid to each contractor, details of work executed, certificates of completion, and comprehensive accounting for the outstanding 6,035 project items.
It warned that failure to fully comply with the court judgment would leave it with no option but to continue contempt proceedings against the Ministry.
