News

HEDA Petitions EFCC Over N30bn Bodija Explosion Fund

ByTitilope Adako

PublishedJanuary 19, 2026

The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged “diversion, misapplication and criminal breach of trust” concerning the N30bn released by the Federal Government to Oyo State following the January 2024 Bodija explosion in Ibadan.

The petition, signed by HEDA Chairman Olanrewaju Suraju and addressed to EFCC Chairman Olanipekun Olukoyede, questioned the status of funds intended for victim compensation, reconstruction, and emergency relief.

Dated January 5, 2026, it expressed concern that only about N4.5bn of the intervention funds had reportedly been used for relief and compensation, leaving the bulk of the N30bn unaccounted for.

The controversy intensified after former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, in a national television interview, claimed that N50bn had been released to Oyo State for Bodija reconstruction and victim support.

Oyo State later clarified that it received N30bn, which remained untouched pending the release of the remaining N20bn.

Oyo State Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, told The PUNCH that the government’s earlier position that the N30bn remained “untouched” still stands.

The state said it disbursed N4.085bn to victims and spent N24.6bn from its own resources on Bodija and its environment.

Oyelade noted that the ongoing controversy may be linked to 2027 election politics.

In its petition, HEDA raised concerns about transparency, highlighting that the funds were kept in a commercial bank for over a year without public disclosure.

The group called on the EFCC to require Oyo State to provide a full public account of the intervention funds, including expenditures and any unspent balance.

HEDA said the allegations suggest possible corruption, abuse of office, diversion of public funds, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering—all within the EFCC’s mandate.

While acknowledging that Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution grants immunity to a sitting governor, the group stressed that such immunity does not prevent investigations into public fund management.

HEDA urged the EFCC to conduct a thorough, impartial, and professional probe into the receipt, management, and utilisation of all federal intervention funds released to Oyo State in connection with the Bodija explosion.

Titilope Adako

Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.