N30bn Relief Fund: Group Petitions EFCC Against Makinde

The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the handling of the N30bn federal intervention fund released to Oyo State following the January 2024 Bodija explosion in Ibadan.

In the petition dated January 5, 2026, HEDA accused the Oyo State Government of diversion, misapplication and criminal breach of trust in relation to the funds meant for compensation of victims, reconstruction and emergency relief. The petition was signed by HEDA’s chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, and addressed to the EFCC chairman, Olanipekun Olukoyede.

The organisation questioned the status of the N30bn released by the Federal Government, alleging that only about N4.5bn had been applied to relief and compensation, while the bulk of the funds remained unaccounted for more than a year after the explosion.

HEDA further alleged that the funds were kept in a commercial bank at interest without adequate public disclosure, a development it said raised serious concerns about transparency and accountability in the management of public resources.

The petition urged the EFCC to mandate the Oyo State Government to provide a comprehensive public account of all intervention funds received, details of how they were spent and the status of any unutilised balance. It also called for a thorough investigation into the receipt, management and utilisation of the funds.

While acknowledging that Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution grants immunity to a sitting governor, HEDA maintained that such immunity does not prevent investigation, particularly in matters involving public funds.

Reacting to the petition, the Oyo State Government dismissed the allegations, insisting that the N30bn intervention fund remained untouched. The Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, said the state had already disbursed N4.085bn as support and compensation to victims and spent about N24.6bn from its own resources on reconstruction in Bodija and surrounding areas.

Oyelade attributed the renewed controversy to political interests ahead of the 2027 general elections, adding that the government stood by its earlier explanations on the handling of the funds.

The controversy over the intervention fund intensified after former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose claimed during a television interview that the Federal Government released N50bn to Oyo State for the Bodija explosion response. The Oyo State Government later clarified that it received N30bn and said it was awaiting the balance of N20bn before accessing the funds.

Victims of the Bodija explosion have continued to demand improved compensation, describing earlier assistance as inadequate.