Court Orders Humanitarian Ministry to Release Ondo Cash Transfer Beneficiaries, Awards ₦2m Damages for FOI Breach
The Federal High Court, Abuja, has delivered a significant judgment reinforcing the scope of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011. In suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1222/2025, filed by Myson Nejo, a legal practitioner and former governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Ondo State, the court ordered the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction to disclose the names of beneficiaries of its Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Programme in Ondo State, conducted between November 2024 and May 2025.
Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Binta Nyako held that the Ministry’s refusal to grant access to the requested information constituted a breach of the applicant’s statutory rights under the FOI Act. The court directed the Ministry to furnish Nejo with the full list of beneficiaries and financial details within seven days.
The applicant, represented by Vincent Adodo, Esq., had sought three reliefs, including ₦30 million in damages for the Ministry’s failure to provide the requested data. His request followed public statements by then Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda (now APC National Chairman), who claimed that six million Nigerians benefited from the CCT programme within six months.
Despite acknowledging receipt of Nejo’s FOI request, the National Social Investment Programme Agency failed to provide the information, prompting the litigation.
At the hearing, counsel to the Ministry, Ibrahim Moddibo, argued that disclosure of beneficiaries’ names would amount to an invasion of privacy, an exemption under the FOI Act. In reply, Adodo contended that the public interest in transparency and accountability outweighed any privacy concerns, particularly where public funds were involved.
Justice Nyako upheld the applicant’s submissions, ruling that the Ministry had a legal obligation to disclose the information. The court awarded ₦2 million in damages against the Ministry, describing its non‑disclosure as “a breach of the applicant’s statutory right to information.”
