Two petitions submitted to the Office of the National Security Adviser have raised allegations of financial and administrative irregularities in the implementation of a strategic communication project involving Nigeria’s security, intelligence and emergency response agencies.
The petitions, dated December 23, 2024, and January 23, 2026, accused an official of the Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakari Mijinyawa, of allegedly sidelining organisations originally engaged to implement the project and altering an agreed funding arrangement after the initiative commenced.
The complaints concern the Strategic Communication Interagency Policy Committee, an initiative approved by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to strengthen coordination and crisis communication among security, intelligence and emergency response agencies.
The petitioners, comprising a non-governmental organisation led by a retired military general and a crisis communication consultant, alleged that they were initially designated as partners in the initiative but were subsequently excluded from meetings and activities.
They also alleged that funds released for the project were not administered in accordance with the original arrangement and that they were left unpaid for work they claimed to have carried out between September and December 2024.
According to documents obtained by PRNigeria, the controversy began with efforts to revive the Forum of Spokespersons of Security and Response Agencies, a platform involving spokespersons of military, security, intelligence and emergency response institutions.
The petitioners said Ribadu approved the reconstitution of FOSSRA into SCIPC in March 2024 after considering a proposal submitted by the NGO.
They alleged that following the approval, the organisation was designated as the secretariat of the revived forum, with the consultant providing support for the strategic communication component.
The petitioners further claimed that when funding for the inaugural meeting was released, an ONSA representative, Mijinyawa, received 50 per cent of the money for press conferences, members’ allowances and refreshments, while the NGO retained the remaining half for research, media reviews, sentiment analysis and strategic communication interventions.
However, they alleged that the arrangement was later altered.
The petitioners claimed that their representatives were removed from the SCIPC WhatsApp group, stopped receiving invitations to meetings and were subsequently treated mainly as reporters providing ad hoc media coverage rather than as partners in the initiative.
They further alleged that the NGO’s share of the funding was reduced from the initial 50 per cent to less than 25 per cent, while more than 75 per cent was allegedly controlled by the ONSA representative.
The petitioners also claimed that they were excluded from a monthly meeting they had proposed and were not paid for services rendered between September and December 2024 despite submitting evidence of their activities to ONSA.
They consequently appealed to Ribadu to intervene, investigate the implementation of the project and ensure payment for services they said had already been delivered.
More than a year later, the matter resurfaced in a January 23, 2026 correspondence titled, “Appeal for Redress over Irregularities in SCIPC ONSA Project Implementation.”
The petitioners recalled that the initiative originated from discussions on improving the government’s crisis communication capacity and alleged that the NSA had approved their proposal and designated the NGO as the secretariat of the revived forum.
They alleged that after the initiative evolved into SCIPC, initial funding was released directly to the NGO but that subsequent disbursements were allegedly handled by Mijinyawa in what they described as an “irregular and suspicious manner.”
The petitioners further alleged that the NGO and consultant were deliberately excluded from subsequent activities despite having worked on the project for months without payment.
More seriously, they claimed to have uncovered what they described as “credible evidence of corrupt practices involving funds allocated for the assignment.”
The January 2026 petition indicated that the matter had progressed beyond correspondence, with the NGO leadership reportedly invited to ONSA to submit a formal statement.
The consultant was also said to have appeared before the office and submitted his own statement.
However, the petitioners alleged that after making their statements, they were neither invited for further engagement nor paid for the work they claimed to have executed.
They also claimed that the dispute had affected their relationships with external stakeholders involved in the initiative.
According to the petition, records of assignments allegedly executed, communications and statements concerning the matter had been submitted to an investigative team within ONSA.
Meanwhile, sources familiar with the matter told PRNigeria that Mijinyawa, a legal practitioner, had subsequently been redeployed to the legal department, while another officer was appointed to head strategic communication.
The sources, however, alleged that despite the redeployment, Mijinyawa continued to exercise significant influence over functions associated with the Office of the Special Adviser on Communication.
They cited a recent meeting of spokespersons from military and security agencies which they alleged was convened by Mijinyawa, despite the appointment of another officer described as a media professional and strategic communication scholar to lead the unit.
PRNigeria said it contacted Mijinyawa and sent questions seeking his response to the allegations concerning the management of project funds, exclusion of the original partners, changes to the funding arrangement, investigations into the complaints and his current responsibilities at ONSA.
Mijinyawa reportedly acknowledged receipt of the request and asked for time to respond.
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