The Federal Government yesterday said that it will soon publish the names of suspected looters of the nation’s treasury as ordered by the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos. The court had ordered the Federal Government to tell Nigerians the circumstances under which funds were recovered as well as the exact amount of funds recovered from each public official.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abukabar Malami (SAN) who made the disclosure in Abuja during a meeting with a delegation from Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), stated that President Muhammadu Buhari has directed all relevant agencies to compile documents on names of all looters.
Executive Director of SERAP, Adetokunbo Mumuni, noted that the group had a productive meeting with Malami, discussing critical issues on the need for the government to obey the judgement delivered in July by Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari, following a Freedom of Information suit number: FHC/CS/964/2016 brought by SERAP. According to Mumuni, “Malami informed us that President Buhari has directed the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Finance, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other relevant agencies involved in the recovery of looted funds to promptly put the documents together with a view to fully and promptly enforcing the judgement by Justice Shagari.” Justice Shagari had, in her July 5th judgement, agreed with SERAP that “the Federal Government has legally binding obligations to tell Nigerians the names of all suspected looters of the public treasury past and present.”
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed had, last year, published details of the recoveries, which showed that the Nigerian government successfully retrieved total cash amount N78,325,354,631.82; $ 1 8 5 , 1 1 9 , 5 8 4 . 6 1 ; £3,508,355.46 and €11,250 between May 29, 2015 and May 25, 2016. Also released were recoveries under interim forfeiture, which were a combination of cash and assets, during the same period: N126,563,481,095.43, $ 9 , 0 9 0 , 2 4 3 , 9 2 0 . 1 5 , £2,484,447.55 and €303,399.17. Anticipated repatriation from foreign countries totalled: $321,316,726.1, £6,900,000 and €11,826.11.