The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) have called on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the alleged financial mismanagement and corruption amounting to ₦300 billion in the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) under Bashir Yusuf Jamoh, the former Director General.

A petition, filed jointly by the CNPP and the Coalition of National Civil Society Organisations Against Inept Leaders (NCSOAIL), was submitted to the ICPC on May 21, 2025.

The petition was signed by the CNPP’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, James Ezema, and the National Secretary of the NCSOAIL, Alhaji Ali Abacha.

The groups accuse Jamoh of overseeing systemic financial irregularities, including alleged inflated contract awards, unlawful recruitment processes, nepotistic appointments, and embezzlement of public funds throughout his tenure from March 2020 to March 2024.

Among the key allegations highlighted in the petition are the leasing of speedboats at excessive costs, unauthorised promotion of a $175 million security initiative, and secret recruitment of over 500 individuals outside federal civil service guidelines.

The petitioners also question the suspicious escalation of NIMASA’s training budget—from ₦66 million in 2019 to ₦1.6 billion in 2021—without tangible results.

Further raising concerns, the groups point to a ₦500 million fine imposed on NIMASA by the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria in December 2023 for fraudulent financial statements, which led to Dr. Jamoh’s disqualification from certifying financial reports in Nigeria. Also, the Senate Building project at the Nigerian Maritime University in Okerenkoko remains incomplete despite full disbursement of funds.

The petitioners urge the ICPC to swiftly freeze all implicated assets and accounts, prosecute those found culpable, and recover the estimated ₦300 billion for remittance to the national treasury. They argue that reclaiming stolen funds from NIMASA is crucial for Nigeria’s economic stability, particularly as the country struggles with rising debt.

“As Nigeria continues to rely on external borrowing for essential infrastructure, allowing large-scale corruption to go unpunished is not only unjust but financially disastrous,” the petition states. “Holding those responsible accountable is an economic and moral necessity,” the petitioners added.