Why I Have Not Probed Diezani, Others - Buhari Explains

President Muhammadu Buhari has given explanations on why his government is yet to prosecute those accused of stealing Nigeria's money in the oil sector.

President Muhammadu Buhari has given the reason why the government is yet to probe those accused of stealing the nation’s wealth, especially in the petroleum sector.

 

The president said it is because of ‘lack of evidence’ that has stalled prosecution. It is public knowledge that some cabinet members of former president Goodluck Jonathan's administration (Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Diezani Allison Madueke and others) were accused of squandering the country's money.

 

He made the disclosure while speaking in London, United Kingdom, in an exclusive interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reporter, Mr. Peter Okwoche, after attending a conference on the ongoing Syrian crisis, Buhari said there was no way he could go ahead to prosecute the ongoing war against corruption successfully without having genuine evidence to support the prosecution of such cases.

 

Buhari revealed that his government’s agencies are currently digging for evidence and documents which they consider very vital for successful prosecution.

 

President Buhari said, “The battle against corruption, particularly in the petroleum has not been successful because of lack of evidence.

 

"We are gathering those documents because to prosecute corruption successfully, we need evidence.

"That’s not easy, especially in petroleum sector, and that is why we have not achieved much in the sector.” 

 

He stated that gathering evidence to nail those who looted Nigeria's money takes time and some of those accused of tampering with state funds have carefully concealed their assets, making it difficult for detectives. He, however, expressed optimism that he will win the war against corruption for the benefit of the whole country.

 

Nigerians have called for the head of all those who stole from Nigeria especially during the last administration which was characterized with massive theft and stealing as revealed by the $2.1 billion arms deal scam.

 

The President has assured Nigerians that he will prosecute all those who dipped their hand into the nation’s wealth for private use.

 

In particular, the APC government, since May 2015, has vowed to probe Alison-Madueke, especially on allegation of over $20 billion allegedly missing from the coffers of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

 

Former Central Bank Governor, and now Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, had raised the alarm in the past years that money got missing under Alison- Madueke, leading to an inquiry by the National Assembly. An audit report by PricewaterhouseCoopers on the alleged missing $20 billion oil money, was said to have confirmed in the first instance that at least $18.5 billion was indeed missing.

 

Many Nigerians will give Buhari the benefit of doubt as they want a proper prosecution unlike what the anti-graft agencies have been doing before - rushing prosecution and losing out entirely. It is believed that if Buhari will prosecute those involved in the looting, he has all the time he wants to gather enough evidence to nail them. How true this will become can only be told in the future.