OWN CORRESPONDENT, Abuja | Monday 6.30pm.
NIGERIAN leader General Abdulsalam Abubakar on Monday confirmed that the government is currently investigating several corrupt officials thought to have siphoned billions of dollars off the national coffers under the regime of Abubakar’s predecessor, the late General Sani Abacha.
Abacha’s statement comes after media speculation last month that former National Security Adviser Ismaila Gwarzo had been arrested and forced to pay back $250-million stolen from the public account. “I confirm that an investigation of various accounts of the national security adviser and other … government agents are on-going,” Abubakar said.
“All of those being investigated have cooperated and voluntarily refunded the money which has been kept in a special account in the Central Bank of Nigeria,” he added. Others reported to have been targeted in the investigation include senior finance ministry officials and members of the Abacha family.
Abubakar declined to say how much money has so far been returned to the national account but said the investigation was expected to bring back substantial sum of money.