Lai Mohammed: 55 Nigerians stole over N1.34 trillion from 2006 to 2013

Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed

Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has stated that 55 Nigerians have stolen over N1.34 trillion from the country’s treasury from 2006 to 2013.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday in Abuja, Mr. Mohammed said since the nation was on the verge of winning the war against insurgent group, Boko Haram, the nation and its people should also partake in yet, another war on corruption.

Mr. Mohammed said if Nigerians failed to cooperate with the governing All Progressives Congress administration under president Muhammadu Buhari, corruption would “kill the country”.

“Gentlemen, the situation is dire and the time to act is now. For example, between the period 2006 and 2013, just 55 people allegedly stole a total of 1.34 trillion Naira in Nigeria. That’s more than a quarter of last year’s national budget,” he said.

Out of the stolen funds, the minister said 15 former governors were alleged to have stolen N146.84 billion; while 4 former ministers stole N7 billion; 12 former public servants, both at federal and state levels, stole over N14 billion; 8 people in the banking Industry allegedly N524 billion; while 11 businessmen allegedly stole N653 billion.

Giving reasons why Nigerians should “own” the war against corruption, Mr. Mohammed said using the World Bank rates and costs, showed that one third of the stolen funds could have provided 635.18 kilometres of road; built 36 ultra modern hospitals, that is one ultra modern hospital per state; built 183 schools; educated 3,974 children from primary to tertiary level at 25.24 million per child; and built 20,062 units of 2-bedroom houses.

“This is the money that a few people, just 55 in number, allegedly stole within a period of just eight years. And instead of a national outrage, all we hear are these nonsensical statements that the government is fighting only the opposition, or that the government is engaging in vendetta,” he said.

The Minister said his Ministry was also planning to carry a sensitization programme on the war against corruption to all the corners of the country, leveraging on the wide reach of the National Orientation Agency, NOA.

He said he would partner with other agencies of government, especially the anti-corruption agencies and the police, as well as the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption.

Table below indicates what 55 people stole from 2006 to 2013.

CATEGORY NO OF CASES AMOUNT INVOLVED
EX-GOVERNORS 15 146,840,800,000.00
EX-MINISTERS 4 7,050,000,000.00
EX-LEGISLATORS 5 8,350,000,000.00
EX-PUBLIC SERVANTS 7 (Federal) 6,906,600,000.00
EX-PUBLIC SERVANTS 5 (State) 7,275,000,000.00
BANKING INDUSTRY 8 524,560,000,000.00
BUSNESSMEN 11 653,150,000,000.00

GRAND TOTAL 55 N1,354,132,400,000.00