University of Abuja Under Fire Over ₦134.8 Million in Excess Cash Advances, Unaccounted Vehicles

Secrets Reporters

A federal financial review of the University of Abuja, now known as Yakubu Gowon University, has uncovered ₦134,795,731.38 in cash advances granted beyond the approved limit, along with a separate finding of unaccounted government vehicles for which no value could be determined.

The review covered the university’s 2024 financial year, a period marked by extraordinary leadership instability. The institution cycled through four Vice-Chancellors in roughly a year, a turnover that coincided with the financial irregularities now coming to light.

The 2024 financial year spanned the tenures of two Vice-Chancellors. Professor Abdul Rasheed Na’Allah served until his tenure ended on 30 June 2024. Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi succeeded him, but was removed by President Bola Tinubu in February 2025, alongside the dissolution of the university’s Governing Council.

Two acting Vice-Chancellors followed Professor Patricia Manko Lar, then Professor Mathew Adamu before Professor Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi was appointed as the substantive Vice-Chancellor in February 2026.

Responsibility for the 2024 financial year rests principally with Na’Allah for the first half of the year and Maikudi for the remainder. The obligation to resolve the findings now falls to Fawehinmi’s incoming administration.

The review identified ₦134,795,731.38 in cash advances granted above the approved limit, in breach of Treasury Circular guidance on cash advance ceilings.

Separately, the review found government vehicles that could not be accounted for. No monetary figure could be isolated for the vehicles.

Paragraph 2001 of the Financial Regulations 2009 places direct responsibility on the Accounting Officer to ensure proper accounting and safeguarding of every government asset, including vehicles. The findings indicate that basic asset and cash controls were not consistently applied during the year under review.

The findings relate to the 2024 financial year, which ran from January to December 2024 and fell across the tenures of Na’Allah and Maikudi.

The review points to a continuity problem at an institution that has cycled through four Vice-Chancellors in approximately one year. Financial controls, asset registers and cash advance tracking depend on institutional memory that repeated leadership turnover makes harder to sustain, according to the findings.

The ₦134.8 million in cash advances exceeded the approved ceiling set by Treasury Circular guidance. The unaccounted vehicles represent a breach of Paragraph 2001 of the Financial Regulations 2009, which governs the Accounting Officer’s responsibility for safeguarding government assets.