Bayelsa Auctioneers Give Diri 7 Days to Probe Alleged Illegal Disposal of Government Scrap

The Auctioneers Association of Nigeria, Bayelsa State Chapter, has petitioned Governor Douye Diri over the alleged unauthorised sale and disposal of government owned metal scrap, accusing the Chairman of the Bayelsa State Environmental Sanitation Authority, Hon. Timothy Diekivie Itiedu, of bypassing established procedures for disposing of public assets.

Through its lawyers, Gibson Esowa & Co., the association is demanding an investigation into the alleged transactions and possible prosecution if wrongdoing is established.

The petition, dated October 1, 2026, was addressed to Governor Diri through the Secretary to the State Government and signed by Joseph A. Richard, Esq., on behalf of the law firm.

At the centre of the complaint is an allegation that government-owned scrap materials including gas turbine components and other metal items were allegedly removed from their locations and subsequently sold without the auction process required for the disposal of public assets.

Who authorised the alleged sales?

According to the petition, the Auctioneers Association is a registered body responsible for conducting auctions involving unwanted government property and assets in accordance with applicable procurement laws and regulations.

The association's lawyers said the established disposal process requires government assets to first be identified and evaluated, followed by public advertisement, approval from the Office of the Secretary to the State Government and a transparent bidding process involving licensed professional auctioneers.

The association says it is entitled to a 10 per cent commission on government assets properly disposed of through the auction process.

However, the petition alleges that Itiedu effectively took over that function and proceeded with the disposal of government scrap outside the prescribed framework.

“It was to the greatest chagrin of our client to discover that the Chairman of the Bayelsa State Environmental Sanitation Authority, Hon. Timothy Diekivie Itiedu while hijacking the role/responsibility of our client in organizing auctioning activities on behalf of the State for the disposal of Government unwanted properties, has engaged in the unlawful act of selling/disposal of some Government scraps,” the lawyers alleged.

The October 2025 directive

The lawyers traced the alleged controversy to a letter dated October 7, 2025, which they said was issued by Itiedu directing the evacuation of metal scrap materials.

The materials reportedly included gas turbine parts and other abandoned metal waste, which the petition said were to be removed pursuant to a directive from the state government.

The association alleges that following the evacuation, Itiedu, working with an individual identified as Mr Daw Obote, a staff member of the Ministry of Environment, proceeded to arrange the private sale of some of the materials to agents.

The petition claims the alleged transactions were conducted without the association's involvement and without the government’s required auction procedures.

Photographs of some of the allegedly disposed materials were reportedly attached to the petition for the governor’s consideration.

Was there government approval?

A key issue raised in the petition is whether any committee was formally constituted to oversee the disposal of the scrap and whether the required approvals were obtained.

The association's lawyers alleged that no disposal committee had been constituted by the Office of the Secretary to the State Government and that their client was excluded from the process.

If established, such a finding could raise questions about compliance with the procedures governing the disposal of state-owned assets.

The petition also alleges that additional government-owned scrap located in Swali Town, Yenagoa, was being targeted for evacuation and possible disposal.

The association is asking the governor to halt any further movement or sale of the materials until their ownership, valuation and disposal process are properly established.

Association demands recovery of assets

The auctioneers are asking Governor Diri to intervene and order the immediate recovery of government scrap allegedly sold or disposed of outside the prescribed process.

Where the materials can no longer be recovered, the association is demanding payment of their equivalent monetary value, including the 10 per cent commission it claims would have accrued had the assets been disposed of through the proper auction process.

The group has also requested a cease-and-desist order concerning the scrap reportedly located in Swali Town.

Calls for investigation and prosecution

Beyond seeking administrative intervention, the association has asked for Itiedu to be arrested, investigated and prosecuted over the allegations.

The petition, however, does not establish criminal liability; it calls for the relevant authorities to investigate the claims and determine whether any offence was committed.

Copies of the petition were sent to the Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Police Command, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) office in Port Harcourt.

The involvement of both law-enforcement bodies signals the seriousness with which the petitioners are asking authorities to treat the allegations.

Seven day deadline for Diri

The association has given the state government seven days from receipt of the petition to respond to its demands.

It warned that failure, refusal or neglect to act could result in legal proceedings.

“TAKE NOTICE that in the event of any failure, refusal, neglect or default to adhere to the above directives or demands, we have received instructions from our client to seek immediate legal/judicial redress and this we will do without further notice to you,” the petition stated.

The allegations now place the spotlight on the management of Bayelsa State’s unwanted government assets and the safeguards in place to ensure that public property is properly identified, valued, advertised and sold through transparent procedures.

At the heart of the dispute are several unanswered questions: What government assets were removed? Who authorised their disposal? How much were they worth? Who purchased them? Where did the proceeds go? And was the required auction process followed?

Those questions can ultimately be resolved only through an independent investigation and the production of the relevant government records.

Publicly available Bayelsa State government records confirm the existence of the Bayelsa State Environmental Sanitation Authority as a state agency. The allegations contained in the petition remain claims requiring verification by the relevant authorities.