N30bn Relief Scandal: HEDA Drags Seyi Makinde to EFCC as Oyo Govt Cries Politics

The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged diversion and misapplication of the N30bn released by the Federal Government to the Oyo State Government following the January 2024 Bodija explosion in Ibadan.

In a petition dated January 5, 2026, and signed by HEDA’s Chairman, Mr Olanrewaju Suraju, the group accused the Oyo State Government, under Governor Seyi Makinde, of failing to properly account for the funds meant for victims’ compensation, reconstruction and emergency relief.

The petition, addressed to the EFCC Chairman, Olanipekun Olukoyede, alleged “diversion, misapplication and criminal breach of trust” in the handling of the N30bn intervention fund approved by the Federal Government after the deadly explosion that rocked the Bodija area of Ibadan.

According to HEDA, available information suggests that only about N4.5bn was reportedly applied to relief materials and compensation for affected residents, while the bulk of the N30bn remains largely unaccounted for.

“The organisation is concerned that only about N4.5bn intervention funds were reportedly applied to relief and compensation for victims, while the entire N30bn remains largely unaccounted for,” the petition stated, urging the EFCC to conduct a thorough investigation and recover any diverted funds.

The controversy intensified after former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, during a national television interview, claimed that the Federal Government released N50bn to the Oyo State Government as intervention funds for the Bodija explosion victims and the reconstruction of the Old Bodija axis.

Reacting to Fayose’s claim, the Oyo State Government acknowledged receiving funds from the Federal Government but clarified that the amount released was N30bn, not N50bn. The state government further stated that the N30bn had not been spent, insisting that it was waiting for the balance of N20bn before commencing full-scale disbursement and reconstruction.

Officials of the state government also dismissed HEDA’s petition as politically motivated, describing it as an attempt to drag Governor Makinde into unnecessary controversy and politicise a humanitarian intervention meant to support distressed citizens.

However, victims of the explosion have continued to demand the immediate release of the N30bn, arguing that the relief and compensation earlier provided by the state government were grossly inadequate to address the scale of destruction and losses suffered.

The January 2024 explosion in Bodija, Ibadan, claimed lives, destroyed properties worth billions of naira and displaced several residents, prompting widespread public outcry and the Federal Government’s intervention.

As pressure mounts, attention is now on the EFCC to determine whether the funds were mismanaged or remain intact, and to clarify the fate of the N30bn relief package at the centre of the growing controversy surrounding Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration.