Court battle over “secret billions” puts Tinubu’s revenue drive under scrutiny

A Federal High Court case is threatening to derail the Tinubu administration’s revenue reforms, with NRS boss Dr. Zacch Adedeji facing possible criminal charges for allegedly withholding procurement details.

Public interest lawyer President Aigbokhan got the court’s go-ahead to sue Adedeji after the National Revenue Service, NRS, refused to release documents on multi-billion naira projects.

The projects in question include the NRS headquarters in Abuja, the training institute admin block in Minna, the Suleja office complex, and renovations on Lagos Island.

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The lawsuit argues the NRS is operating as a “fortress of opacity” despite the government’s push for fiscal transparency under the “Renewed Hope” agenda.

Aigbokhan is demanding contract award letters, technical evaluation reports, and BPP “No Objection” certificates.

Analysts say the refusal undermines public trust.

“When the nation’s chief tax collector operates with unclean records, the social contract is effectively severed,” one policy expert said.

He asked:“Why should citizens pay into a system that refuses to show how its own house is built?”

The suit leans on Section 39(1) of the Constitution and the FOI Act, which mandates public institutions to release information within seven days. It cites Section 7(5) of the FOI Act, which makes willful refusal a criminal offense.

Justice Peter Lifu cleared the substantive suit on March 31, 2026, in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/323/2026, citing prima facie evidence of a transparency breach.

The reliefs sought include disclosure of the records and a referral of Adedeji to the ICPC for arraignment.

The NRS is central to Tinubu’s economic blueprint, but the case has raised questions about whether the agency’s resistance is bureaucratic foot-dragging or a bid to shield high-value contracts from scrutiny.

The hearing, which started in late April, was adjourned to June 17 for a ruling that could set a precedent on whether a tax agency’s silence amounts to a crime.