The Kogi State Government has been accused of looting 95 per cent of the one per cent monthly allocation of the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) through rigged, non-tendered contracts.
A group of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) made the allegation in a petition they sent to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately commence investigation into the alleged diversion of Kogi State’s funds meant for development at the grassroots.
The group, which included African Transparency Initiative (ATI), Community Outreach for Development and Welfare Advocacy (CODWA), and Concerned Kogi State Citizens, in a petition to the EFCC chairman, dated November 18, 2025, alleged that fraud was being perpetrated through the “Lokoja Voucher Scheme”.
The petition was titled, “Urgent Investigation and Prosecution of the Systemic Diversion of Kogi State Local Governments’ Fund Through the Lokoja Voucher Scheme.”
Executive Director, African Transparency Initiative (ATI), Comrade Taiwo Otitolaye, who represented ATI; CODWA, Country Director (Nigeria), Comrade Shina Loremikan; Northwest Coordinator/Executive Director, Centre for Human Rights and Social Advancement, Kano, Yusha’u Yankuzo; and Chief Operating Officer, 21st Century Community Empowerment for Youth and Women Initiative, Lukman Adefolahan signed the petition.
The petitioners copied the Attorney-General of the Federation, Auditor-General of the Federation, Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), House of Representatives Committee on Public Account and Senate Committee on Anti-corruption.
The petitioners alleged that the funds were being paid for works allegedly not done through the use of “fabricated vouchers and contracts”, adding that while shell companies owned or controlled by politically-exposed persons (PEPs) received the alleged diverted funds, officials of local government area councils were “forced to sign without Bills of Quantity, tender or site verification”.
According to the petitioners “We bring this urgent petition to demand a full-scale inquiry into the Lokoja Voucher Scheme that has siphoned billions of naira meant for schools, clinics, roads and other basic services in Adavi, Bassa, Dekina, Idah and Yagba East Local Government Areas.”
The petitioners said the fraud were allegedly carried through Fabricated vouchers and contracts for works never performed, adding that shell companies owned or controlled by politically-exposed persons (PEPs) corner the funds, in which local government officials are forced to sign without Bills of Quantity, tender or site verification.
They said the fraud is allegedly perpetrated monthly by the same fraudulent vouchers that were processed, adding that the state government, insatiably like a locust, allowed the one per cent LGSC fund to be remitted, but then re-looted 95 per cent of it through rigged, non-tendered contracts.
This, according to the petitioners, forms another facet of the Lokoja fake-voucher syndrome —contracts awarded without any procurement process.
The petitioners said the alleged fraudulent acts of the state officials violated the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 (Sections 19, 22, 23) and the EFCC (Establishment) Act 2004(Sections 14, 18), Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, (Sections on concealment and conversion).
They prayed EFCC to commence an immediate forensic audit of all Kogi local government accounts from January 2024 to date.
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