MOSOP Alleges $300 Million Ogoni Development Fund Looted, Demands Urgent Probe

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has accused unnamed individuals of looting $300 million (approximately ₦480 billion) earmarked for infrastructural development and compensation in Ogoniland. The funds, which were part of an out-of-court settlement with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), were meant to address decades-long grievances stemming from oil exploitation in the region.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday in Port Harcourt, MOSOP President Fegalo Nsuke described the alleged embezzlement as a “genocide against the Ogoni people” and a betrayal of the Niger Delta. He urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to immediately launch a full-scale investigation into the matter.

“We are certain that some individuals shared the money among themselves,” Nsuke said. “This is not just financial corruption—it is a humanitarian disaster. That $300 million could have resolved critical issues in Ogoni, including access to clean water, electricity, education, and roads. Instead, it ended up in private pockets.”

MOSOP had previously dismissed reports of misappropriation, but Nsuke said the group now has “overwhelming evidence” to support the claim and can no longer remain silent.

“We actually had a solution, and personal greed thwarted it. This is a worse form of injustice than some of the allegations we have leveled against the Nigerian state,” he added.

Nsuke accused both federal and state authorities of ignoring multiple calls for accountability and warned that continued silence from the government could be interpreted as complicity.

“The only way the Nigerian government can absolve itself of blame is to initiate a probe and ensure that the money is recovered and put to its intended use.”

The $300 million fund was reportedly negotiated as part of an alternative resolution process to address long-standing environmental degradation, economic neglect, and human rights violations linked to oil exploration in Ogoniland. MOSOP argues that the mismanagement of the funds has further delayed resolution of a crisis that has lasted over three decades.

“Ogoni people want this problem resolved. The starting point is accountability. We demand a probe into what happened to the NNPC-paid fund,” Nsuke emphasized.

In an official statement signed by MOSOP Secretary-General Alex Akori, the organization reiterated its demand for the recovery of the funds and their redirection toward developmental projects such as electricity provision, education, potable water, and youth entrepreneurship.

“No one should expect Ogoni to remain silent when $300 million meant for their upliftment is looted. We need that money back, and we need justice,” the statement read.

The group’s renewed call adds to the growing chorus of demands for transparency and accountability in resource governance across the Niger Delta, a region long plagued by environmental degradation and underdevelopment despite its wealth in oil.