Preamble
Last week, I wrote to the Acting President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osibanjo, requesting for the financial status of recovered “loot” by the security agencies in the “war” against corruption. I gave the learned Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria three weeks within which to kindly look into my grievances as a humble Nigerian patriot. Here, the letter:
An account of all monies recovered and properties attached by the EFCC, ICPC, DSS NIA, Police, and other security agencies: My humble request
Introduction
I greet Your Excellency, and join millions of Nigerians to wish President Muhammadu Buhari speedy and full recovery from his present health challenges. He was quite honest, patriotic and presidential when, upon his return from his 49 days medical vacation abroad, he told Nigerians of his health challenges, of the blood transfusion, and the fact that he had never been so ill in his life. This, notwithstanding how some cheerleaders, grovelers, sycophants and bootlickers, who had painted a totally different picture to Nigerians in their vain attempt at exalting the president to the state of immortal God, which he had never laid claim to. My family, staff and I always earnestly pray for his full and speedy recovery, based on his immeasurable contributions to Nigeria, before, during and after the bloody Civil War that ended 47 years ago.
Purpose of this letter
I write this letter to you, sir, as a Nigerian citizen, a patriot and an advocate of the rule of law, accountability, transparency, human rights, entrenched democracy and good governance. I am genuinely concerned that the president’s immediate aides and people, who always have direct access to him before your acting appointment in accordance with section 145 of the 1999 Constitution, have only been showing Mr. President the smaller, rather than, the larger picture of Nigeria’s gargantuan and multifaceted problems; and the back-breaking suffering and misery Nigerians are currently living under. There is wailing and gnashing of teeth in the land. Nigerians hear of humongous recoveries of billions of naira, millions of dollars, pounds and other foreign currencies on a daily basis. Some of these monies, mercifully, are even orphaned. But, the use, or non use, of these recovered “loot” have been shrouded in utter mystery, opaqueness and under eerie masquerades and ghosts of utmost secrecy. They have not impacted on the dreary, searing and agonising lives of the common men and women of this great country (exacerbated in the last two years of your government). Their only pre-occupation with life, is not luxury, but merely to have three square meals a day, train their children and have a roof over their aching heads.
Nigerians do not know how much exactly has so far been recovered, aside from the interim figures, which were bandied (but never seen), nearly one year ago. Permit me, sir, as a loyal citizen of Nigeria, acting under sections 1 and 2 of the Freedom of Information Act, to ask the following questions, whose answers will clear the air, not just for my humble self, but for all eager and curious Nigerians:
The 12 nagging questions
1. How much monies have so far been recovered by the various security agencies, in Naira, Pounds, Dollars, Euro, Yen, and other foreign currencies?
2. Where are these monies kept?
3. Are the monies kept with the Central Bank of Nigeria, commercial banks, MDAs, warehouses, abandoned houses, shopping complexes, canals, cemeteries, airports, septic tanks, toilets, private accounts, official pockets, just where, sir?
4. Is the TSA still operative, and if so, sir, does it operate with relation to these “recovered loots” or are these monies specially exempted from the operation of TSA?
5. Has any fraction of these monies been used so far? If so, how much? For what purpose, and on whose authorisation? Was such usage or expenditure authorised by the National Assembly under Sections 81-83 of the 1999 Constitution; if so, when, sir, and how much was appropriated?
6. If the monies are sitting pretty idle and untouched in some bank vaults, as was discovered in the case of Orubebe, where the N1.9 billion over which he was wrongly vilified for larceny, for over one and half years, arraigned, but later discharged on the Attorney-General’s recommendation (since Orubebe never stole it), why is this so, sir? Why would such monies be kept idle in this excruciating period of grinding and asphyxiating recession, when some Nigerians are stealing boiling pots of soup, right from the fire?
7. If the monies have not been used, when would your government use them, and for what purpose?
8. What is the status of all the 239 advertised non-cash properties so far recovered – private buildings, uncompleted buildings, personal properties, markets, hotels, apartments, shopping malls, shops, plazas, stores, vehicles, maritime vessels, parks and Gardens, farms and undeveloped Hectares of land, etc?
9. Who is in charge of these non cash properties in terms of physical guide, monitoring, and ensuring that they do not dilapidate due to non usage?
10. Has any of the properties been disposed of, either by outright sale, pawn, mortgages, lease, rent, under plea bargain, etc? If so, which, how many, to whom, when, for how much and under what circumstances? Who are the beneficiaries?
11. If the properties are simply lying fallow, why, sir, when Nigerians need the money, accommodation for poverty respite?
12. Have the security agencies been briefing the president, sir, about these multi-facetted issues raised herein, or did they simply keep them from Mr. President, knowing full well that he is a very busy man, and had been lately challenged, health-wise, and may, therefore, not remember minute details of serious national issues as these?
Rumoured recoveries so far made
The following monies have been rumoured to have been so far recovered. “Rumoured” is used advisedly, because Nigerians do not know where these monies are kept.
Monies Allegedly Recovered By Efcc In 2017
1. Andrew Yakubu, Former NNPC Boss =N 9.8 Million, Dollars, 3/03/17.
2. Abandoned at Kaduna Airport = N49 Million, 14/03/17.
3. Bureau De Change = N448 Million, 7/04/17.
4. Balogun Market (547 Thousand Euros, 21 Thousand Pounds, 5.6 Million Naira,19/04/17.
5. Former Deputy Governor of Niger State =4 Billion Naira, 11/04/17.
6. Ikoyi Towers, Lagos = 43.4 Million Dollars, 23 Million Naira, 27 Thousand Pounds, 12/04/17.
Recoveries by your government as published by Premium Times on 4th of June, 2016 (copied and pasted verbatim):
“The names of the corrupt officials from whom the assets were recovered were, however, not disclosed.
Details of the recoveries, published by the Federal Ministry of Information, showed that the Nigerian government successfully retrieved total cash amount N78,325,354,631.82, $185,119,584.61, £3,508,355.46 and €11, 250 between May 29, 2015 and May 25, 2016.
Also released were recoveries under interim forfeiture, which were a combination of cash and assets, during the same period: N126,563,481,095.43, $9,090,243,920.15, £2,484,447.55 and €303,399.17.
Anticipated repatriation from foreign countries totaled: $321,316,726.1, £6,900,000 and €11,826.11.
The ministry also announced that 239 non-cash recoveries were made during the one-year period.
The non-cash recoveries are – farmlands, plots of land, uncompleted buildings, completed buildings, vehicles and maritime vessels, the ministry said…”
“Interim report on financial and asset recoveries made by the Federal Government of Nigeria from 29th may 2015 to 25th May 2016”
The following is the breakdown of the recovered cash and assets
Cash recoveries
S/N ITEMS NAIRA US DOLLAR GB POUNDS EURO
1. EFCC CASH AT HAND 39,169,911,023.00 128,494,076.66 2,355 11,250
2. ROYALTY/TAX/PAY
MENT TO FGN ACCOUNT 5,665,305,527.41 8,000,000.00
IN JP MORGAN ACCOUNT
NEW YORK
3. ONSA FUNDS RECOVERY
ACCOUNT IN CBN 529,588,293.47
4. VAT RECOVERED FROM
COMPANIES BY ONSA 529,588,293.47
5. EFCC RECOVERED FUNDS
ACCOUNT IN CBN 19,267,730,359.36 455,253.80
6. ICPC REVENUE
COLLECTION RECOVERY
IN CBN 869,957,444.89
7. OFFICE OF THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL 5,500,000,000.00 5,500,000
8. DSS RECOVERIES 47,707,000.5 1,943,000.5 3,506,000.46
9. ICPC CASH ASSET
RECOVERY 2,632,196,271.71
TOTAL 78,325,354,631.82 185,119,584.61 3,508,355.46 11,250
Recoveries under interim forfeiture
S/N ITEMS NAIRA US DOLLAR GB POUNDS EURO
1. CASH IN BANK UNDER
INTERIM FORFEITURE 8,281,577,243.92 1,819,866,364.73 3,800.00 113,399.17
2. AMOUNT FROZEN
IN BANK 48,159,179,518.90 7,131,369,498.49 605,647.55
3. VALUES OF CARS UNDER
INTERIM FORFEITURE 41,534,605,998.00 77,844,600.00 1,875,000.00 190,000.00
4. VALUE OF CARS UNDER I
NTERIM FORFEITURE 52,500,000.00
5. ONSA FUNDS UNDER
INTERIM FORFEITURE 27,001,464,125.20 43,771,433.73
6. VALUE OF ASSETS
RECOVERED BY ONSA 512,000,000.00
7. ONSA ASSETS UNDER
INTERIM FORFEITURE 260,000,000.00
8. DSS RECOVERIES
FROZEN IN BANKS 658,929,000.00 226,476.20
9. EFCC CASH IN BANK
UNDER FINAL
FORFEITURE 103,225,209.41 17,165,547.00
TOTAL 126,563,481,095.43 9,090,243,920.15 2,484,447.55 303,399.17
Grand Total 204,888,835,727.25 9,275,363,504.76 5,992,803.01 314,649.17
Funds awaiting return from foreign jurisdictions
Jurisdiction US Dollar GB Pounds Euro
1. Switzerland 321000000
2. UK 6900000
3. UAE 310501 11826.11
4. USA 6225.1
Total 321,316,726.1 6,900,000 11,826.11
Non Cash Recoveries
Serial Items Quantity ICPC EFCC ONSA
1 Farmlands 22
2 Plots of Land 4
3 Uncompleted Buildings 1
4 Completed Buildings 33 145 4
5 Vehicles 22 3
6 Maritime Vessels 5
Total 82 153 4
To be continued
Thought for the week
Don’t let anyone call you a minority if you are black or Hispanic or belong to some other ethnic group. You’re not less than anybody else. – Gwendolyn Brooks