According to records on the portal, the payment was made on December 31, 2025 to a company identified as Ruku Limited.
A review of Nigeria’s public payments portal, Govspend, by SaharaReporters has revealed that the Office of the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Niger Delta disbursed ₦255.566 million for the supply of 165 hampers, gift baskets containing assorted items.
According to records on the portal, the payment was made on December 31, 2025 to a company identified as Ruku Limited.
Further checks show that Ruku Limited was only incorporated with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in May 2025, meaning the firm was just seven months old when it received the multi‑million‑naira contract.
The Nigerian Public Procurement Act of 2007 stipulates that, before a company can be awarded government contracts, it must have duly filed its annual returns and must not be in default of any tax obligations.
The development has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the award. Under Nigeria’s procurement laws, contractors are typically required to present documentation such as tax clearance certificates and evidence of prior capacity before being awarded public contracts.
It remains unclear how a newly registered company was able to meet these requirements before securing such a substantial payment from a federal office.
Earlier, SaharaReporters reported that the Nigerian government, through the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, paid more than N2 billion into the personal accounts of four ex-militants, according to payments reviewed for the 2025 fiscal year.
The findings were based on an analysis of entries on the public payments portal, Govspend.
One of the beneficiaries, ex-militant Odiki Jacob, received several payments in 2025.
On April 22, 2025, a sum of N33.2 million was paid to him with the payment description: “Being payment of march, 2025 bulk stipends to camp leader of Ekpomopolo Tobi Camp phase 1, for 500 delegates as approved by the administrator.”
Prior to that payment, N31 million was transferred to his account on March 18, 2025. Earlier, on February 27, 2025, another N33.2 million was paid into his account.
Subsequent payments followed in the months after. On May 15, 2025, he received N32.5 million, while another N32.5 million was paid to him on June 25, 2025.
He also received N33.2 million on July 25, 2025, and another N33.2 million on October 28, 2025.
On November 24, 2025, a further payment of N32.5 million was made into his account.
In total, Odiki Jacob received N228.8 million in 2025.
Another ex-militant, Harry Tonye Ikemenjeme, received a payment of N33.5 million on April 22, 2025.
Similarly, Dasimaka Adokiye Sami received N186.3 million on April 22, 2025, with the payment description: “Being payment of March, 2025, bulk stipend to the camp leader of Ateke camp phase 1, 2802 delegates as approved by the administrator.”
Records show that he had earlier received N186.3 million on February 27, 2025. Another N173.7 million was paid into his account on March 18, 2025.
On May 15, 2025, he received N182.1 million, followed by another N182.1 million on June 22, 2025.
On July 25, 2025, a payment of N186.3 million was made into his private account. Another N186.3 million was transferred to him on October 28, 2025.
He also received an additional N182.1 million on November 24, 2025.
Altogether, Dasimaka Adokiye Sami received N1.465 billion in payments into his personal account.
A former commander of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Ebikabowei Victor Ben, popularly known as Boyloaf, also received multiple payments.
On February 27, 2025, N80.7 million was paid into his private account. On the same day, another N33.2 million was transferred to him.
The payment description read: “Being payment of January 2025 bulk stipends to the camp leader for the 200 delegates of Boyloaf camp phase 2, as approved by the administrator on 29th January 2025.”
Additional payments were also recorded to different individuals, with the combined total amounting to about N2.6 billion.