A fierce transparency battle has erupted in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta as the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) is dragged before a Federal High Court over multi-billion dollar cleanup contracts.
Civil society group Rural Development, Information and Legal Advocacy (RUDILAC) has filed a suit demanding full disclosure of procurement records tied to controversial remediation deals in Ogoniland.
The case, filed under Suit No: FHC/PH/MSC/244/2026 at the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, follows a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted to HYPREP’s Project Coordinator, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey.
Contracts Under the Spotlight
At the centre of the legal showdown are contracts awarded to four firms:
Avondale Services and Supplies Ltd
One Specialty P & S Ltd
Vitruvian Global Resources Ltd
Shearforce Nig. Ltd
RUDILAC is demanding detailed records, including:
Approved procurement plans
Bid opening reports and attendance sheets
Financial and technical evaluation documents
Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) “No Objection” certificate
Letters of award and project completion certificates
“Public Funds Must Be Accounted For”
The group, led by its Director of Operations, Comrade Jonah Karikpo, argues that HYPREP — as a public institution implementing the UNEP-backed Ogoniland cleanup — must operate with full transparency.
They insist Nigerians have a right to know how funds are being spent on one of the country’s most high-profile environmental projects.
Legal experts say the suit highlights the growing use of the FOI Act 2011 to challenge secrecy in public spending, especially in Nigeria’s extractive sector.
RUDILAC warned that failure to disclose the requested records could violate Sections 7(5) and 10 of the FOI Act, which criminalise withholding or tampering with public information.
Court Date Fixed
The case, presided over by Justice A.T. Mohammed, has been adjourned to June 15, 2026, for further hearing.
High-Stakes Cleanup Under Scrutiny
HYPREP remains the key agency overseeing the environmental restoration of Ogoniland, a project that has drawn both local and international attention due to its scale and funding.
The controversy also revives focus on the leadership of Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, who was appointed in 2024, briefly removed amid allegations, and later reinstated following protests by the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP).
As of press time, HYPREP has not issued an official response to the lawsuit.
But with legal pressure mounting, one thing is clear:
the fight for transparency in Nigeria’s environmental cleanup has entered a critical stage.
