Don’t allow indicted APC members go unpunished, Nigerian writes open letter to Buhari
Editor’s note: There is no doubt that corruption is a major issue hindering the Nigeria’s progress. This menace has permeated every sector of the Nigeria’s economy. This may be the reason President Muhammadu Buhari promised to tackle the menace even before he became the president of Nigeria.
His resolve to fight the corruption to a standstill, has, thus started yielding results as some public officials who were hitherto untouchable are now being docked by the Economic and Finance Crime Commission (EFCC) for fraudulently enriching themselves.
In this article, Sani Mohammed, urges President Muhammadu Buhari to be holistic in his fight against corruption by not shielding any member of APC who is indicted of corruption including the sitting governors, senators and House of Reps members.
PMB's reform agenda appears to be sauntering out of the gates, according to the civil society-run Buharimeter.
Writing on 4th-11-2015 on the Washinton Post, Mr Matthew Page said Buhari’s reform agenda probably faces its greatest threat from corrupt, old-school politicians within his own All Progressives Congress (APC) party. Buhari should neutralize some of the APC’s shadiest figures, who could emerge as “veto players,” as described in Carl LeVan’s recent book.
Corruption, one the challenges facing Africa’s most populous nation and largest economy continues to grow. Nigerians nevertheless expect their Mr President’s reform agenda to show tangible results, and soon given these imperatives, one of the things Buhari can do to get the ball rolling is to carefully clean the house.
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Examples of these kleptocrats are not hard to find. The U.S. Department of Justice has accused one sitting APC governor of helping former dictator Sani Abacha steal at least $458 million from state coffers.
Atiku Bagudu
On Wednesday, March 5, 2014, the current All Progressives Congress's Governor of Kebbi state, Atiku Bagudu, was indicted by the U.S. government as the Americans froze more than $458 million stolen by former Nigerian dictator in largest Kleptocracy Forfeiture Action Ever Brought in the U.S.
The Senator formerly representing Kebbi Central, on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, dumped the party to contest the state’s governorship position on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.
The Department of Justice has frozen more than $458 million in corruption proceeds hidden in bank accounts around the world by former Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha and conspirators including Alhaji Bagudu.
A civil forfeiture complaint in the United States District Court in the District of Columbia seeks recovery of more than $550 million in connection with the largest ‘kleptocracy’ forfeiture action brought in the department’s history.
“General Abacha was one of the most notorious kleptocrats in memory, who embezzled billions from the people of Nigeria while millions lived in poverty,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Raman.
“This is the largest civil forfeiture action to recover the proceeds of foreign official corruption ever brought by the department.
“Through our Kleptocracy Initiative, we are seizing the assets of foreign leaders who steal funds that properly belong to the citizens they serve. Today’s action sends a clear message: we are determined and equipped to confiscate the ill-gotten riches of corrupt leaders who drain the resources of their countries.”
The over $458 million in frozen funds and the additional assets named in the complaint represent the proceeds of corruption during and after the military regime of General Abacha, who assumed the office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria through a military coup on Nov. 17, 1993, and held that position until his death on June 8, 1998.
The complaint alleges that General Abacha, his son Mohammed Sani Abacha, their associate Abubakar Atiku Bagudu and others embezzled, misappropriated and extorted billions from the government of Nigeria and others, then laundered their criminal proceeds through the purchase of bonds backed by the United States using U.S. financial institutions.
As alleged in the complaint, General Abacha and Atiku Bagudu and others systematically embezzled billions of dollars in public funds from the Central Bank of Nigeria on the false pretense that the funds were necessary for national security.
The conspirators withdrew the funds in cash and then moved the money overseas through U.S. financial institutions. General Abacha and his finance minister also allegedly caused the Government of Nigeria to purchase Nigerian government bonds at vastly inflated prices from a company controlled by Bagudu and Mohammed Abacha, generating an illegal windfall of more than $282 million.
In addition, General Abacha and his associates allegedly extorted more than $11 million from a French company and its Nigerian affiliate in connection with payments on government contracts. Funds involved in each of these schemes were allegedly laundered through the United States.
Admittedly, housecleaning carries political risks for Buhari. After all, his victorious electoral coalition included powerful defectors from former president Goodluck Jonathan’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP). If he unduly antagonises these establishment figures, they could derail his party’s newfound dominance by joining their former comrades in the opposition PDP.
What we know as a fact (to which the court has documents at hand now) are that Atiku was arrested by the U.S. Marshals on the street of Houston, Texas, on a Thursday, May 22, 2003 on a request to the US. Department of Justice by the United Kingdom, the U.K. wanted him extradited to the Island of Jersey, U.K. to face charges for money laundering there.
He was detained without bail at a Federal Detention Center in Houston Texas for about six months (5/22/2003 to 19/11/2003) after which he was released to the custody of his bailer, Aisha Bagudu, having posted a bank's cashier's cheque of half a million dollars as bond. He then was asked to report periodically to his parole officer at the court, despite being on electronic monitoring to prevent escape.
Atiku negotiated with the Nigerian government and got a deal to be handed over to Nigeria for further prosecution, having signed/promised to return the looted/laundered money to the Nigerian government. His other U.S. cases went on (he had quite a few of them).
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In 2014, his companies were indicated in a Washington DC court and assets forfeited in what the U.S. Department of Justice described as the largest kleptocracy case ever in its entire history of prosecuting criminals (you can Google that; it is on FBI's official website).
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