The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Bernard Doro, may face contempt proceedings over an alleged refusal to comply with a judgment of the Federal High Court directing the publication of names of conditional cash transfer beneficiaries in Ondo State.
Court documents indicate that the minister has been served with Form 48, a statutory notice warning of the consequences of failing to obey a subsisting court order.
The notice was issued following what has been described as non-compliance with a judgment delivered in Abuja on November 3, 2025.
In the ruling, the court ordered the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to disclose comprehensive details of individuals who received conditional cash transfers across the 18 local government areas of Ondo State between January and May 2025.
The suit was instituted by Myson Nejo, a legal practitioner and governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress in the 2024 Ondo State election.
Nejo approached the court seeking transparency in the disbursement of the Federal Government’s social intervention funds within the state.
Delivering judgment in the matter, Justice B.F.M. Nyako granted all the reliefs sought by the applicant and ordered the minister to release the list of beneficiaries.
The court also awarded ₦2 million in damages in favour of Nejo.
Documents show that the ministry was duly served with the judgment and related court processes, according to Politics Nigeria.
However, there is no indication that the order has been complied with, nor is there evidence of an appeal against the decision.
Form 48 constitutes a formal warning that continued disobedience of the court’s directive could result in full contempt proceedings, which may carry penalties, including possible imprisonment.
The legal action followed a public statement earlier in 2025 by former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Yilwatda Nentawe, now National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, who said about six million Nigerians benefited from the Federal Government’s conditional cash transfer programme.
Nejo contended that such assertions should be supported by verifiable records, particularly in Ondo State where the programme was reportedly implemented during the election period.
Legal analysts note that the development underscores concerns about transparency and accountability in the administration of social welfare initiatives under President Bola Tinubu.
As of the time this report was filed, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs had not released any official statement addressing the alleged non-compliance with the court order.
