By Ayeotan Shola
Reports emerging this afternoon have revealed that an Ex-aide to Past president, Goodluck Jonathan has reportedly returned the sum of N1.5 billion he supposedly acquired illegally in office to President Buhari.
New Telegraph reports that the name of Jonathan’s aide hasn’t been disclosed.
Meanwhile, the aide said that President Buhari’s anti-corruption war has commenced yielding results with the retrieval of billions of naira from some officials who served in the immediate past government.
A source said: “The security agency has recovered N1.5 billion from an aide of former President Goodluck Jonathan. After a series of investigation, the money was traced to his account, which he could not explain the source as a public servant.
“The aide is not alone as some others have voluntarily returned money to the Federal Government to avoid prosecution.”
The government has already settled arrangements to create an escrow account for the lodgment of the returned funds.
The incumbent president had sought the help of foreign partners and institutions to assist Nigeria in the retrieval of over $150 billion stolen funds hidden in foreign banks.
Multiple sources confirmed that the money was traced to the aide who could not clarify the source of the fund, believed to be proceeds from corrupt practices.
It was further gathered that the government has traced $1 billion to a single bank account in one of the western countries.
The funds, believed to be proceeds from corruption, was said to belong to an official of the Jonathan administration.
“We are making headways. Don’t forget that Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State revealed that one of Jonathan’s ministers stashed $6 billion abroad. As at today, we have traced $1 billion into an account in one of the Western countries. We will soon come up with startling revelations,” the source added.
But the Buhari government is keeping secret the identity of those who have voluntarily refunded stolen money.
A presidency official said: “People are coming forward with documents on how the treasury was plundered. Some details of the sordid transactions in the oil sector have been submitted to President Buhari. Nigerians will be surprised with the mindless looting of the treasury with those trusted with the nation’s commonwealth. It’s mind-boggling.”
“The permanent secretaries did not just brief the president on the situation on ground in their respective ministries, but they presented some documents on some transactions that are not in conformity with due process. So, the briefing some of the permanent secretaries had with the president was revealing. Don’t forget that the permanent secretaries are the chief executives of the ministries,” the source added.
It should be noted that the recent investigation has shown that Buhari still has no list of oil thieves that has been supposedly promised by the US authorities during the visit on July 22.
