The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee has summoned the chairmen of the six area councils in the Federal Capital Territory over alleged financial infractions exceeding ₦100 billion uncovered in audit reports submitted by the Auditor-General.
The affected councils include Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali. Findings from the audit for the year ending December 31, 2021 revealed widespread cases of unremitted tax and VAT deductions, poor asset documentation and expenditures that were not properly accounted for.
According to the report, the councils recorded outstanding liabilities totalling ₦7.65 billion, covering unremitted pension deductions, Pay-As-You-Earn, unpaid project obligations, VAT and withholding taxes owed to relevant authorities, including the Nigeria Revenue Service, FCT Inland Revenue Service, pension fund administrators and contractors.
A breakdown showed that AMAC had liabilities of ₦2.19 billion, Bwari ₦1.49 billion, Kwali ₦1.46 billion, Gwagwalada ₦1.01 billion, Kuje ₦892.2 million and Abaji ₦593.8 million.
The audit also faulted the councils for failing to maintain updated Fixed Asset Registers, noting that non-current assets worth ₦336 million in Gwagwalada alone were poorly documented.
The report further raised concerns about ₦24.87 billion spent in 2021 on personnel, overheads and capital projects.
Despite an 89 per cent increase in expenditure compared to 2020, the councils reportedly failed to properly account for 37 per cent of funds allocated to capital projects.
Additional audit findings for 2022 and part of 2023 highlighted breaches including understatement of internally generated revenue, unauthorised disposal of assets, non-disclosure of statutory income and failure to remit withholding taxes.
Chairman of the committee, Rep. Bamidele Salam, confirmed that the council chairmen and their finance directors had been invited to appear before the panel on February 11, 2026, to respond to the audit queries.
He warned that failure to honour the summons could lead to the invocation of the House’s constitutional powers, including ordering their arrest.
Salam also disclosed that the councils failed to audit and submit financial statements for 2023, 2024 and 2025, stressing that public funds must be managed with transparency and accountability, and that any official found culpable would face appropriate sanctions under the law.
