The organisation urged U.S. authorities to invoke Section 7031(c) of the U.S. Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, alongside the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has petitioned the United States Government, seeking visa revocations, asset forfeiture, and international sanctions against several Nigerians over alleged involvement in the diversion of funds meant for security and arms procurement.
The petition, signed by HEDA’s Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, was submitted to the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria and the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Economic Sanctions Policy and Implementation.
The organisation urged U.S. authorities to invoke Section 7031(c) of the U.S. Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, alongside the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
Suraju alleged that the diversion of billions of dollars allocated for national security and arms acquisition had fuelled insecurity, terrorism, and human rights abuses across Nigeria and the wider West African region.
HEDA cited the “Dasuki-gate” arms procurement scandal and other military procurement fraud cases, arguing that the misappropriation of funds approved for equipping the armed forces contributed to the rise and expansion of insurgent groups, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The group further noted that efforts to secure accountability within Nigeria had been undermined by judicial technicalities, including the dismissal or suspension of corruption cases on procedural and jurisdictional grounds.
In the petition, HEDA named several individuals allegedly linked to the diversion of security funds. They include a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (retd.), over an alleged ₦22.8 billion fraud involving Nigerian Air Force funds; a former Sokoto State Governor, Attahiru Bafarawa, accused of benefiting from at least ₦4.6 billion traced to arms procurement funds; and a 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 listed include a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah (retd.), over the alleged diversion of ₦13.8 billion intended for military hardware; Major Generals Akerejola and Adereti, over alleged 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, discontinued trials, or dropped charges, HEDA argued that such outcomes were largely based on procedural grounds rather than substantive rulings on the corruption allegations.
The organisation called on the U.S. Government to revoke the visas of the named individuals and their immediate family members, pursue asset forfeiture through international cooperation, and impose enhanced 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,” Suraju said.
“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.”
‘Dasuki-gate’ refers to a major corruption and arms procurement scandal in Nigeria that came to light around 2015–2016, named after Sambo Dasuki, the former National Security Adviser (NSA) under President Goodluck Jonathan.
It involves the alleged diversion of billions of naira intended for military operations against Boko Haram and other security threats.