The Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately suspend the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Dr. Zacch Adedeji, pending an independent investigation into alleged irregularities surrounding two property transactions valued at approximately ₦2.776 billion.
The organisation made the demand in a formal petition to the President, raising concerns about procurement procedures, potential conflicts of interest, corporate due diligence and the use of public funds in property acquisitions reportedly undertaken by the former Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in June 2024.
In a press statement issued on Sunday, CESJET argued that the scale of the transactions and the questions raised in its petition warranted urgent intervention to protect public resources and preserve confidence in the investigation.
The organisation stressed that its demand for suspension was precautionary and should not be interpreted as a declaration of guilt against the NRS chairman or any other person connected with the transactions.
According to the petition, one of the transactions involved a reported ₦1.47 billion contract awarded to Klogstar Nigeria Limited on June 5, 2024, for the acquisition of a property at No. 3/5 Danjuma Drive, Trans-Amadi Industrial Area, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The property was reportedly intended for the construction of an FIRS facility.
CESJET questioned the procurement process, alleging that the records cited in its petition identified only one tenderer, with no apparent evidence of an open competitive process to demonstrate that the agency secured the best value for public money.
The organisation also raised concerns about the reported inactive status of Klogstar Nigeria Limited on the Corporate Affairs Commission’s register, as referenced in the petition, calling for verification of the company’s legal status, operational capacity and eligibility to participate in a transaction of that magnitude.
The second transaction concerns the reported acquisition of a property in Mokola, Ibadan, for ₦1.25 billion, purportedly for an FIRS South-West training school. An additional agency fee of ₦56.25 million was reportedly associated with Kehinde Ogunsanya Associates.
CESJET questioned the circumstances surrounding the agency fee and the reported arrangement under which an intermediary involved in the acquisition may also have received the underlying purchase consideration. It called for scrutiny of the contractual arrangements, payment records, property valuation and due-diligence procedures.
The organisation said the reported figures amount to approximately ₦2.77625 billion, including the agency fee, and maintained that transactions of such financial magnitude required transparent and independent examination.
It identified several issues requiring clarification, including whether the properties were independently valued, whether alternative properties and competing offers were considered, whether the entities involved were properly vetted, and whether the transactions complied with applicable procurement and financial regulations.
CESJET: Investigation Must Be Independent
Explaining its demand for immediate suspension, CESJET said an independent process was necessary to protect relevant records, prevent potential interference and ensure that the investigation was not compromised by institutional interests.
The organisation urged President Tinubu to direct a comprehensive forensic investigation into the transactions and refer the matter to the appropriate anti-corruption agencies and public procurement regulators for examination within their respective statutory mandates.
It also called for the preservation of procurement files, contracts, valuation reports, payment instructions, internal approvals, correspondence and electronic records that could assist investigators in establishing the facts.
Beyond the immediate allegations, CESJET urged the authorities to establish the beneficial ownership of the companies and intermediaries involved, determine the contractual basis for the payments and assess whether any conflicts of interest or breaches of procurement rules occurred.
The organisation further called for the publication of the investigation’s findings, subject to applicable law and legitimate confidentiality requirements, as well as appropriate legal or administrative action if wrongdoing is established.
Due Process Must Be Respected
While maintaining its demand for suspension, CESJET emphasised that the allegations required verification and that all persons implicated must be afforded the opportunity to respond.
It said the objective was not to prejudge the outcome of an investigation but to ensure that allegations involving substantial public expenditure were subjected to credible, transparent and independent scrutiny.
“Accountability must be demonstrated, not merely proclaimed,” the organisation stated, arguing that public confidence in national revenue institutions depended on transparency, effective oversight and the consistent application of the law.
CESJET added that the President had an opportunity to demonstrate the administration’s commitment to accountability by ensuring that questions concerning the transactions were addressed through an impartial process rather than left unresolved.
The organisation reiterated its demand for the immediate suspension of the NRS chairman pending the investigation, insisting that public office should not shield anyone from scrutiny and that every naira of public money must be properly accounted for.
The statement was signed by Comrade Oduma Richard Oduma, Director of Strategy and Communication, CESJET.
The allegations and transaction details in this report are based on CESJET’s account of its petition and have not been independently verified for this report. No conclusion of wrongdoing should be drawn unless established by the appropriate authorities. Any response from the NRS chairman, the NRS, or the other parties named in the petition should be included to ensure a balanced account.