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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has accused the federal government of failing to fully comply with a Federal High Court ruling ordering the disclosure of details relating to Abuja’s controversial $460 million CCTV project, saying authorities have admitted they do not have detailed records of local contractors who benefited from the project.
The human rights group revealed this in a statement following a response received from the Federal Ministry of Finance in relation to the ongoing contempt proceedings initiated for alleged non-compliance with the 2023 court ruling.
According to SERAP, the Ministry of Finance, in a letter dated May 15, 2026 and signed by the Permanent Secretary, RO Omachi, stated that Ministry of Police Affairs records showed that while 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 Safety Communications System, was designed to strengthen surveillance, emergency response and public safety in Abuja through the installation of CCTV cameras and related communications infrastructure.
Reacting to the disclosure, SERAP described the absence of records as deeply concerning and inconsistent with standards of transparency and accountability 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 organization said Nigerians still lack critical information about the project despite a court ruling issued nearly three years ago.
“We are concerned that although the judgment was delivered in May 2023, the Ministry released some information only after we initiated the contempt proceedings and served a notice to file suit in January 2026,” SERAP said.
The organization argued that the government’s response amounted to only “partial compliance” with the ruling delivered by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court on 15 May 2023.
The court had ordered the Ministry of Finance to disclose the total amount paid under the Abuja CCTV loan agreement, identify the local and Chinese contractors involved in the project, provide details on the implementation status and clarify issues relating to the reported $1.5 billion payment linked to the Code of Conduct Office headquarters project.
SERAP, however, argues that significant gaps remain in the information released by the government.
According to the group, the Ministry failed to explain the whereabouts of the 6,035 project items that allegedly disappeared from inventory records linked to the CCTV project.
The organization said data provided by the ministry indicated that 61,970 items had been delivered out of a planned 68,005 units, leaving thousands of items unaccounted for.
Missing items reportedly include communications equipment such as GOTA phones, data cards, servers, LED monitors, cables and related infrastructure.
“It is unclear whether the items were subsequently delivered, whether payment was made, whether the contractor defaulted, whether Nigeria suffered financial losses and whether measures were taken to recover public funds,” SERAP said.
The group also questioned whether the CCTV cameras were ever fully installed and operational.
“The Ministry lists items delivered in 2013. However, it failed to clarify how many cameras were installed, if any; where they were installed; whether the cameras are currently operational; and whether the project offered good value for money,” the organization added.
SERAP stressed that the project was financed through the public loan which Nigerians are still repaying, making full disclosure imperative.
The organization warned that selective compliance with court orders could undermine the rule of law and weaken public trust in democratic institutions.
“Government agencies cannot selectively comply with judicial orders or release partial information while withholding documents critical to public accountability,” the group said.
SERAP also linked the call for accountability to Nigeria’s worsening security challenges, particularly in Abuja and several states experiencing increasing cases of kidnappings, violent crimes and attacks.
“The urgency for full disclosure is heightened by the ongoing security crisis across Nigeria, including persistent insecurity in Abuja, where the project was specifically intended to strengthen surveillance, public safety and emergency response,” he said.
According to SERAP, Nigerians deserve to know whether the huge public investment in the CCTV project has achieved its intended security objectives.
“Where hundreds of millions of dollars have been borrowed in the name of public safety, transparency is essential. Accountability becomes even more urgent when insecurity persists despite such significant public spending,” the organization noted.
The group revealed that the federal government confirmed it had received $399.5 million from the Export-Import Bank of China for the project, with the funds drawn in ten installments between March 2011 and December 2013.
He added that the federal government also contributed $70.5 million as a counterpart through the Ministry of Police Affairs, bringing the total cost of the project to approximately $470 million.
According to SERAP, the naira equivalent of the counterpart financing was set at 10.68 billion naira based on an exchange rate of 150 naira to one dollar, including a 1% fee paid to the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The Ministry has reportedly identified Chinese telecom giant ZTE Corporation as the main contractor on the project, with payments processed through the Bank of China, Shenzhen Branch.
The government also clarified that the controversial $1.5 billion mobilization payment for the Code of Conduct Office headquarters project was unrelated to the Chinese loan agreement.
SERAP has now given the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, 48 hours to provide full details of all Nigerian companies, subcontractors, consultants and suppliers involved in the project.
The organization also requires disclosure of the exact amounts paid to each contractor, details of the work performed, certificates of completion and a full accounting for the 6,035 outstanding project items.
He warned that failure to fully comply with the court ruling would leave him with no option but to continue contempt proceedings against the Ministry.
