The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued Muhammadu Buhari for failing to investigate mismanagement of funds allocated for poverty alleviation on Sunday.

SERAP had initially written to Buhari to “promptly set up a presidential panel of enquiry to thoroughly, impartially, effectively and transparently investigate spending on all social safety-nets and poverty alleviation programmes and projects executed between 2015 and 2022”.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report revealing 133 million Nigerians live in poverty despite the government spending about N500 billion yearly on social investment programmes has served as a context for the probe.

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“The report suggests a grave violation of the public trust, and the lack of political will to genuinely address poverty and uphold your government’s constitutional and international human rights obligations,” SERAP’s November 19 letter reads in part.

“The report that 133 million Nigerians are poor suggests corruption and mismanagement in the spending of trillions of naira on social safety-nets and poverty alleviation programmes, including the reported disbursement of over $700 million from the repatriated Abacha looted funds to these programmes.”

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A date for the court hearing is yet to be announced. SERAP’s suit is one of many characterising Buhari’s presidency.

Buhari’s aim to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty is yet to become a reality less than six months to the end of his second term.