A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has ordered Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, to disclose financial records of his administration from June 2023, following a lawsuit seeking greater transparency in the management of public funds.
Justice Hamza Mu’azu of the FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja, issued the directive in a suit filed by Joseph Waya, a former governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
The order requires the governor to provide details of the state’s revenue and expenditure, including federal allocations, internally generated revenue, loans, grants and government contracts. It also covers foreign donations, personnel costs and pension payments.
The ruling comes amid growing political pressure on the Alia administration to account for funds received by Benue State since the governor assumed office in May 2023.
Waya had approached the court after accusing the state government of failing to provide comprehensive financial information he requested under the Freedom of Information Act on September 8, 2025.
His request sought access to public records that would show how the government had received and spent funds during the period under review.
He subsequently sought legal intervention to compel the authorities to release the information.
The court upheld his right to access the requested records and directed the governor to comply with the disclosure order.
The Freedom of Information Act provides a legal framework for citizens to request information held by public institutions, subject to the exemptions established by the law.
The legislation is intended to promote openness in government and enable members of the public to scrutinise the use of public resources.
The court’s directive is important as questions over Benue State’s monthly federal allocations have become a subject of political debate.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had claimed that Benue receives about ₦30 billion monthly from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).
The figure has since featured in demands by opposition figures for a detailed account of the state government’s finances.
The Benue State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged Alia to explain how the money has been spent or publicly dispute Wike’s figures.
The opposition party has also alleged that combined federal allocations to the state government and its 23 local government areas exceeded ₦1.3 trillion since Alia took office in May 2023.
It has called for a breakdown of expenditure across key sectors, including security, healthcare, education, agriculture and infrastructure.
The party has questioned whether the funds received by the state have translated into meaningful improvements in the lives of residents.
The allegations have added to the political scrutiny facing the governor as his administration continues to defend its record in a state grappling with security challenges and the needs of displaced communities.
The requested records could provide information on the funds allocated to these areas, alongside spending on other government responsibilities.
They could also help establish how much the state has received from different revenue sources and how the money has been distributed across its programmes and projects.
However, the court’s decision should not be interpreted as a declaration that Alia or his administration misappropriated public funds.
The case arose from Waya’s request for information and the alleged failure of the state government to provide the records.
The disclosure order concerns access to financial information and does not, by itself, establish financial wrongdoing.
The figures cited by Wike and the PDP also remain separate from the legal question before the court.
A detailed examination of the records would be needed to establish the amounts received, the relevant periods covered and how the funds were spent.
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