Sarah Ochekpe

In 2021, Sarah Ochekpe, former Minister of Water Resources under President Goodluck Jonathan, was arraigned alongside three other defendants on charges related to a N450 million fraud case. The case was documented by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) as one of Nigeria's high-profile corruption cases that year. Ochekpe, who had served as minister from 2011 to 2015, faced allegations concerning the misappropriation of public funds during her tenure in the water resources ministry.

The charges against Ochekpe emerged as part of broader anti-corruption efforts during President Muhammadu Buhari's administration, which had made fighting corruption a central campaign promise. Her case reflected ongoing investigations into the financial management of various ministries during the previous administration. The water resources sector, crucial for Nigeria's development given widespread water scarcity issues, had been under scrutiny for how allocated funds were utilized during the period in question.