KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
The Federal Government on Sunday released the second tranche of the list of alleged ‘treasury looters’ under the last administration.
According to the list released by Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, over N300 billion, $7 million and £5.5 million siphoned from Nigeria’s treasury is being tracked by the present administration.
The list reads as follows:
1. Former NSA Sambo Dasuki: Based on EFCC investigations and findings alone (this is besides the ongoing $2.1 billion military equipment scandal), a total of N126 billion, over $1.5 billion and 5.5 million British Pounds was embezzled through his office. A good number of these monies were simply shared to persons and companies without any formal contract awards.
2. Former Petroleum Resources Minister Dieziani Alison-Maduekwe: In just one of the cases the EFCC is investigating involving her, about N23 billion is alleged to have been embezzled. She is also involved in the Strategic Alliance Contracts of the NNPC, where the firms of Jide
Omokore and Kola Aluko got oil blocks but never paid government taxes and royalty. About $3 billion was involved. The Federal Government is charging Omokore and Aluko and will use all legal instruments local and international to ensure justice.
3. Rtd. Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah: N13.9 billion. N4.8 billion
recovered by EFCC in cash and property.
4. Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika: N4.5 billion. N29m recovered by the EFCC so far.
5. Alex Barde, former Chief of Defence Staff: N8 billion, and EFCC recovered almost N4 billion in cash and property already.
6. Inde Dikko: former CG Customs: N40 billion, and N1.1 billion in cash recovered in cash and choice properties.
7. Air Marshal Adesola Amosun: N21.4 billion. N2.8 billion recovered in cash. 28 properties and 3 vehicles also recovered.
8. Senator Bala Mohammed, former FCT Minister: N5 billion. Interim forfeiture order on some property secured.
9. Senator Stella Oduah: N9.8 billion. Interim forfeiture order on some property secured.
10. Former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu: N1.6 billion – from NSA.
11. Senator Jonah Jang, former Plateau State Governor: N12.5 billion.
12. Bashir Yuguda, former Minister of State for Finance: N1.5 billion. $829,800 recovered.
13. Senator Peter Nwaoboshi: N1.5 billion.
14. Aliyu Usman: Former NSA Dasuki’s aide: N512 million.
15. Ahmad Idris: Former NSA Dasuki’s PA: N1.5 billion.
16. Rasheed Ladoja: Former Oyo Governor: N500 million.
17. Tom Ikimi: N300 million.
18. Femi Fani-Kayode: N866 million.
19. Hassan Tukur, former PPS to President Goodluck: $1.7 million.
20. Nenadi Usman: N1.5 billion.
21. Benedicta Iroha: N1.7 billion.
22. Aliyu Usman Jawaz: Close ally of former NSA Dasuki: N882 million.
23. Godknows Igali: Over N7 billion.
Lai Mohammed, in a statement issued in Lagos, affirmed that the list of the alleged treasury looters’ was based on verifiable facts, including the dates, the amounts in question were collected and from where they were taken.
Among the suspects are prominent members of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet. They include Allison Diezani-Maduekwe, former Minister of Petroleum Resources; Ministers, politicians (former State Governors and serving Senators) and senior military personnel.
”At the press conference where the list was released, I did say it was a tip of the iceberg. Apparently, this does not mean anything to people whose style is to comment on issues they barely understand, or just to shoot down anything coming from the government,” he said,
Mohammed said government has a large number of alleged looters on its list.
Mohammed who chided the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for daring to challenge the Federal Government over an issue which according to him, the party knows is its weakness: Looting of the public treasury, however assured that no stone would be left unturned in the drive to recover the stolen funds.
”What was the PDP expecting when it challenged the Federal Government to name the looters of the public treasury under the party’s watch? Did the PDP actually believe that the massive looting under its watch was a joke? Did they think it is April Fool?” he queried.
The Minister argued that the reaction of the leading opposition party to the looters’ list has shown that its recent apology is an election-induced act, contrived to deceive unsuspecting Nigerians to vote for the party in the 2019 general election, even when it has not come clean on its looting spree during its time in office.
”The hysterical and panicky reaction from the PDP has shown that the party is not at all sincere about its choreographed apology. Were it not the case, the party would have followed in the footsteps of one of its leaders, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, who simply owned up to his role in the party’s rigging in the past elections and said he had turned a new leaf.
”It is said that a true confession is done in humility with an
attitude of repentance. It is clear that the PDP does not know this, hence its resort to hubris, instead of humility and genuine penitence,” he said.
Mohammed said the Federal Government would neither be
intimidated nor blackmailed into silence, adding that it would also not rest until all those who looted the public treasury have been brought to justice.
