Nigeria gov't recovers nearly $9.1b stolen money and assets

The Nigerian government said on Saturday that it had recovered nearly 9.1 billion dollars in stolen money and assets since Muhammadu Buhari became president.

This is according to an interim report on financial and assets recoveries made by various government agencies from May 29, 2015 to May 25, 2016.

The information was released on Saturday by Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, few days after the government failed to publish the list of individuals and amounts stolen on May 29 as promised.

The report also gave details on 239 non-cash recoveries including farmlands, plots of land, buildings as well as vehicles and maritime vessels.

Nigeria ranks 136th in Transparency International’s Corruption Index and had recently been described as “fantastically corrupt” by British prime minister David Cameron.

A description which left President Buhari indifferent as he instead asked Cameron to assist Nigeria recover stolen funds hidden abroad.

Reuters, AFP