Corruption: Court Orders FG To Publish Suspected Looters Names, Monies

By Jide Afolabi

A Federal High Court in Lagos, yesterday, ordered President Buhari and Acting President Osinbajo to “immediately release to Nigerians information about the names of high ranking public officials from whom public funds were recovered and the circumstances under which funds were recovered, as well as the exact amount of funds recovered from each public official.”

Justice Hadiza Shagari, the trial judge, made the order following suit filed by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP under Freedom of Information Act for the disclosure.

The Federal Government had last year disclosed that it had recovered some funds from some high-ranking public officials and private individuals. The names of such individuals were however not released neither the exact amount recovered.

Justice Shagari in her judgement agreed with SERAP that Federal Government has “a legally binding obligation to tell Nigerians the names of all suspected looters of the public treasury past and present.”

Among defendants in the suit are the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government through Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), yesterday, disclosed to newsmen, after the Federal Executive Council meeting that the Federal Government has agreed to publish names of suspected looters as ordered by the court. According to Malami, the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government totally agrees with the ruling of the court and hence, will carry out the order as long as it does not amount to violation of the rules of the court.