Ex-president Jonathan’s Aide Returns N1.5bn Loot To FG

A close security aide of former President Goodluck Jonathan who was recently interrogated by security agents, had refunded to the Federal Government the sum of N1.5 billion he allegedly acquired illegally in office,
New Telegraph is reporting.
The report which did not name the aide said that President Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade has started yielding results with the recovery of billions of naira from some officials who served in the immediate past administration.
Quoting a source, the report said “The security agency has recovered N1.5 billion
from an aide of former President Goodluck Jonathan. After a series of investigation,
the money was traced to his account, which he could not explain the source as a
public servant.
“The aide is not alone as some others have voluntarily returned money to the Federal
Government to avoid prosecution,” a source in the presidential villa said.
Already, the Federal Government has concluded arrangements to create an escrow
account for the lodgement of the recovered funds. Buhari had sought the assistance
of foreign partners and institutions to help Nigeria in the recovery of over $150
billion stolen funds stashed in foreign banks.
It was learnt that about N1.5 billion has been recovered from one of the aides of the
former president. Multiple sources confirmed that the money was traced to the aide
who could not explain the source of the fund, considered to be proceeds from
corrupt practices.
It was further learnt that the government has traced $1 billion to a single bank
account in one of the western countries.
The money, believed to be proceeds from corruption, was said to belong to an
official of the Jonathan administration. “We are making headways. Don’t forget that
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State revealed that one of Jonathan’s ministers
stashed $6 billion abroad. As at today, we have traced $1 billion into an account in
one of the Western countries. We will soon come up with startling revelations,” the
source said. But the Buhari administration is keeping secret the identity of those who
have voluntarily returned stolen money.
A presidency official confided in New Telegraph that people are coming up with
concrete evidence on the plundering of the nation’s commonwealth by past public
office holders and public servants. “People are coming forward with documents on
how the treasury was plundered.
Some details of the sordid transactions in the oil sector have been submitted to
President Buhari. Nigerians will be surprised with the mindless looting of the
treasury with those trusted with the nation’s commonwealth. It’s mind-boggling,” the
source said. It was learnt that some of the permanent secretaries and top
government officials had presented some damning documents on former public
office holders relating to corrupt practices.
“The permanent secretaries did not just brief the president on the situation on ground
in their respective ministries, but they presented some documents on some
transactions that are not in conformity with due process. So, the briefing some of
the permanent secretaries had with the president was revealing. Don’t forget that the
permanent secretaries are the chief executives of the ministries,” the source added.
Already, Buhari has mandated Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to coordinate the
process of recovery of the stolen funds, it was learnt. A source close to the
presidency said Osinbajo had been liaising with some officials and foreign partners
who have volunteered to help Nigeria in the recovery of the fund. “We are hopeful
that so much money will be recovered.
So, the vice-president has the mandate of the president to create the escrow account
and work out other modalities. “The essence of this dedicated account is to ensure
proper monitoring and judicious use of the recovered funds not like in the past
where recovered stolen funds were mismanaged,” a source familiar with the
arrangement said.
Buhari had, last week, stated that his administration had intensified efforts to recover
looted funds. “We are getting cooperation from the international community,
including information on ships that take crude oil from Nigeria and change direction,
or offload their contents into other ships midstream. “Some monies were paid to
individual accounts. We are identifying the financial institutions and countries that
are involved,” Buhari said. It was learnt that the EFCC was raising a special team to
help in the recovery efforts.
A source in the antigraft commission told New Telegraph that operatives had
commenced a discreet probe of accounts of former and present management staff
of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its subsidiaries. “The
bulk of the money stolen is from the oil sector.
We have beamed the searchlight on the activities of the oil giant and its officials,
both former and present, to know their culpability in several unwholesome
transactions. We are also extending investigations to oil deals and other transactions
in the oil sector. We are working with the NNPC on the inquiry,” an EFCC official
said.