Petition Alleges Extortion, Career Manipulation at Lagos Primary Health Care Board

An anonymous petition submitted to Nigeria’s anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies has accused a senior official of the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board of allegedly orchestrating a system of extortion, abuse of office and intimidation targeting health workers.

The petition, dated July 25, 2026, was addressed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Lagos State Ministry of Health and the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board.

The petition names Mrs. Idowu Tokunbo Awawu, identified as the Director of Health Information Management, accusing her of demanding portions of staff training allowances and other official payments as a condition for career advancement and access to leadership positions. The allegations have not been independently verified.

According to the petition, staff members who attended official trainings, workshops and seminars were allegedly compelled to surrender a percentage of their legitimate allowances. It further claims that officers who refused to comply were denied promotions, excluded from appointments as Heads of Department (HODs) and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Officers, and subjected to punitive transfers and workplace victimisation.

The whistleblowers argue that the alleged practices have undermined merit-based appointments, weakened staff morale and affected service delivery within the Health Information Management Department of the board.

The petition calls for a discreet investigation into the allegations, including an audit of training allocations, stipends and allowance disbursements. It also seeks a review of recent HOD and M&E appointments to determine whether they were made on merit or influenced by alleged financial inducements.

In addition, the petition requests whistleblower protection for staff willing to provide evidence, as well as disciplinary and legal action if the allegations are substantiated through investigation.

As of the time of filing this report, there was no indication that the agencies named in the petition had commenced investigations. Mrs. Idowu Tokunbo Awawu has not publicly responded to the allegations, and no official statement had been issued by the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board regarding the claims.

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