The House of Representatives has asked the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to suspend any further disbursement to ZTE Corporation pending satisfactory explanations regarding the execution of the $460 million Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance project in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
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The House ad-hoc committee probing the $460m loan obtained from China to finance the FCT CCTV project issued the directives at its resumed hearing in Abuja on Tuesday.
The lawmakers expressed deep frustration over what they described as inconsistencies, vague responses, and a lack of transparency from ZTE officials regarding the project’s scope, deployment locations, and current operational status.
The committee also mandated that the company reappear with comprehensive and verifiable documentation, including a detailed inventory of all equipment supplied and installed, and precise locations of the infrastructure nationwide.
Others are the identities and contact details of the 456 Nigerians the company claimed were trained to operate and maintain the system.
The decision followed the adoption of a motion moved by a member representing the Bursari/Geidam/Yunusari federal constituency of Yobe state, Hon. Ali Shettima.
The committee’s chairman, Hon. Donald Ojogo, had explained that the exercise was not a witch-hunt but a fact-finding mission aimed at addressing growing public concern.
“This is a constructive engagement, not an attempt to witch-hunt anyone. Nigerians deserve clear answers, and we expect ZTE to respond in line with the documents before us,” he stated.
Representative of the company, Irene Momoh, said ZTE supplied and installed CCTV infrastructure in Abuja and Lagos, noting that the project was completed between 2011 and 2012.
However, under questioning, he admitted uncertainty about the system’s current functionality.
“To the best of our knowledge, the equipment was delivered and installed within the project timeline, but I cannot confirm its present operational status,” Momoh said.
The response sparked strong reactions from lawmakers, who questioned how a project of such magnitude could lack a sustainable maintenance and continuity framework.
Momoh explained that ZTE had an initial three-month maintenance agreement, which it voluntarily extended to six months before handing over the system.
The company’s representative attributed the project’s decline to the government’s inability to sustain funding post-handover.
“There was no continued funding from the government to maintain and run the system after handover,” Momoh added.
Despite this explanation, lawmakers challenged several of the company’s claims, particularly on the geographical spread of the installations.
Citing documents from the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs, a member of the panel, Hon. Iyawe Esosa, disputed ZTE’s assertion that installations were limited to Abuja and Lagos.
“Official records indicate installations in Edo State. As someone who lives in Benin City, I can confidently say these facilities do not exist in the listed locations,” he said.
Momoh, however, maintained that all items captured in the Bill of Quantities were duly supplied and installed in accordance with contractual terms.
Another member, Kolawale Akinlayo, rejected claims of installations in Ekiti State, insisting there was no evidence of deployment across the state.
“None of the locations listed, including Ado-Ekiti, has any of these facilities. Outside Lagos, there is no visible deployment in the South-West,” he asserted.
The committee’s members were enraged when Momoh attributed gaps in his responses to the fact that he only assumed office in 2023, noting that several officials involved in the original contract were no longer with the company.
Lawmakers viewed this as an attempt to evade responsibility and warned of a possible referral to the Nigerian Bar Association for disciplinary action.
Meanwhile, a representative of the CBN, Josiah Okike, asked the committee to route its directive through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation for proper implementation.
He disclosed that as of March 2026, ZTE was due to receive $15.37 million under the loan repayment arrangement.
The committee therefore resolved to invite the company for further questioning and insisted on documentary proof of the project handover, including details of the government agencies that assumed custody of the infrastructure.
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