Civil society organisations have uncovered an alleged massive carting away of high-value public water infrastructure disguised as scrap metal across multiple local government areas in Kogi State, describing the government-backed exercise as an act of state-organized corruption that threatens public health and community survival.
In a joint public petition addressed to relevant authorities and obtained by journalists on Friday, the Community Outreach for Development and Welfare Advocacy (CODWA) and the African Transparency Initiative (ATI) accused the Kogi State Ministry of Water Resources of orchestrating the asset stripping of critical infrastructure.
The petition, signed by CODWA Executive Director Comrade Taiwo Omoniyi Otitolaye and ATI Country Director Shina Loremikan, calls for an immediate halt to all ongoing evacuation exercises in Kogi West and Kogi East senatorial districts.
At the center of the mounting controversy is an official government memo with reference number MWR/KGS/ADM/71/VOLI/551, dated September 21, 2026. Signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Kogi State Ministry of Water Resources, Alhassan Omakoji, FCNA, the directive formally authorized a private firm, Gabdire International Nigeria Limited, to evacuate public water assets under the guise of decommissioned scrap metals across designated locations.
According to the petition, the schedule of items earmarked for clearance spans nine major public water schemes across Yagba East and Ankpa Local Government Areas. Among the multi-million-naira assets declared as junk and assigned for removal are a 350kVA Mikano heavy-duty power generator at the Isanlu Pumping Station, multiple overhead tower tanks, high-voltage changeover switches, low-lift pumps, electric control panels, and diesel storage facilities.
Other vital installations slated for evacuation include vertical pumps and electric motors at the Ohun Ife-Olukotun Pumping Station, a Lister generator set at Odo-Ere, overhead reservoirs at Ajowa and Jolugba booster stations, security perimeter fencing at Egbe, and a 100kVA generator alongside water infrastructure at the Akwu Water Works in Ankpa Local Government Area.
The civil society coalition expressed outrage that functioning or repairable government equipment capable of powering hospitals, schools, and entire townships is being written off without due process. They noted that the ministry failed to conduct any public hearing, independent technical audit, formal asset valuation, or community consultation before handing over the state assets to a private contractor.
The rights groups warned that dismantling municipal water systems in a state already grappling with severe water scarcity will inevitably trigger catastrophic health crises, exposing rural communities to waterborne epidemics such as cholera, typhoid, and kidney complications. They argued that the action directly violates United Nations Resolution 64/292 on the Human Right to Water, as well as Sustainable Development Goal 6, which mandates access to clean water and sanitation for all.
In their charter of demands, CODWA and ATI called for the immediate suspension of all evacuation activities by Gabdire International Nigeria Limited, demanding full public disclosure of the due diligence report, asset valuation documents, and the actual revenue paid into state coffers by the contractor. They further urged the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), alongside civil society representatives and traditional councils, to perform an independent audit aimed at rehabilitating rather than liquidating the state’s water infrastructure. Furthermore, the groups advocated for new state legislation making public hearings mandatory before any public utility asset can be designated for decommissioning or scrap disposal.
