wachakal nigeria millions people northeast nigeria face hunger attack islamist militant group boko haram march 2016 government act decide spend 1.4 million cut weed around village wachakal order stop flood six months late many weed grow back 317 million naira time 1.04 million transfer company hire destroy firm found government official charge dispense aid accord nigerian senate report report write committee lawmakers nigeria upper chamber parliament conclude company receive contract project include weed government body oversee official babachir lawal transfer total 500 million naira worth around 2.2 million firm set report publicly call criminal investigation payments central probe whether lawal involve suspect kickback scheme divert aid money intend volatile northeast committee say scheme involve inflate value contract enrich lawal associate report provide evidence show believe cost enlarge lawal 62 ally president muhammadu buhari one first appointments write statement respond reuters question lawal deny wrongdoing say victim senate witch-hunt unite nations warn northeast nigeria grip one world bad humanitarian crises boko haram burn home destroy livelihoods kill thousands people refugees live camp complain starvation disease soldier police accuse rape reuters review senate report find show two pillars buhari presidency restore stability northeast fight corruption may undermine allege misappropriation aid money food review draw upon document detail bank transfer corporate record visit aid project interview senior politicians diplomats humanitarian workers final senate report publish may recommend lawal prosecute allegedly flout procurement rule break oaths office suspend april pending presidential investigation launch senate find first surface early draft report investigation lawal order buhari head vice president yemi osinbajo deliver find president aug. 22. president look report study make decisions osinbajo say without say presidential investigation report buhari office refer reuters vice president comment despite buhari vow fight corruption major figure convict far boko haram kill around 20,000 people since 2009 push back areas yet continue launch attack millions people northeast rely form aid shehu sani chair senate committee produce report say overall losses suspect corruption various form northeastern humanitarian crisis recent years determine due probe specific remit factor restrict scope say senate investigation limit timeframe examine focus government aid spend since current administration take office may 2015. sani also say government agencies refuse cooperate access bank account detail limit use international donor fund investigate say conservatively 10 billion naira 33 million monies suppose go idps internally displace persons misappropriate unaccounted misuse different segment nigerian government sani tell reuters say refer form corruption relate fund involve nigerian humanitarian aid date back around three years allegations involve lawal decline elaborate humanitarian crisis begin 2014. nigeria then-president goodluck jonathan set presidential initiative northeast pine provide emergency assistance communities foster economic growth region pine problems outset accord 2014 internal pine presentation prepare then-chairman group committee pilot scheme send 51 food truck borno state 10 gombe state none arrive become president 2015 buhari make lawal secretary government federation sgf nigeria top civil servant pine lawal oversee millions dollars aid senate report allege aid contract 2016 help needy instead inflate contract award company belong top government officials cronies close associate say company call rholavision engineer limit describe information communication technology engineer consultants found lawal 1990 money company award contract pine come first statement lawal say relinquish tie rholavision aug. 27 2015 four days swear sgf company registry record show resign director sept. 2016. addition sign letter lawal corporate affairs commission cac date sept. 16 2016 contain appendices senate report say wish relinquish share rholavision true say lawal text message ask apparent discrepancy forge say send picture letter cac decline elaborate rholavision decline comment march august 2016 pine award two contract cut weed improve irrigation riverside communities northeastern state yobe 30 years weed cause farmland flood prevent people fish contract worth combine total 531 million naira grant josmon technologies ltd. first contract award march 2016 273 million naira time worth 1.4 million second contract award josmon august 2016. nigeria naira currency lose around third value two months early 258 million naira contract worth 845,000 rholavision company found lawal receive contract consultancy role weed-cutting project 7.1 million naira contract award march 2016 sum equivalent 36,040 work do ali dodo farmer wachakal tell reuters others cut weed around komadugu-yobe river month-long period august 2016. say contractors pay 2,500 naira day reuters unable determine much spend work total bank record however show josmon technologies pay 317 million naira rholavision march september 2016. monday john apeh josmon director tell reuters josmon relationship mr babachir lawal text message say josmon struggle finance pine contract company experience financial difficulties would pay work complete lead us borrow money rholavision md say josmon say 195 million naira 637,359 317 million naira send rholavision repay loan apeh decline comment happen remain 122 million naira lawal say statement purely business transactions company classify bribe dodo local farmer say weed start grow back within six months despite numerous setbacks nigeria government try reboot aid efforts buhari replace pine presidential committee northeast initiative last october june government promise distribute 30,000 tonnes grain people displace boko haram say half food aid previously dispatch go miss zainab ahmed head nigeria inter-ministerial task force humanitarian response northeast tell reuters deliveries would guard soldier coordination agencies perfect improve great deal get good say weed top official get tangle nigerian aid scandal