Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has recounted how the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo recovered funds allegedly stolen from Nigeria after assuming office in 1999.
Speaking on the country’s long-running battle against corruption, Mr Atiku said the new administration inherited records detailing funds allegedly taken by officials of the military government that preceded it.
He said Mr Obasanjo initially approached the issue with anger but that he advised the former president to adopt a more pragmatic approach to recovering the money.
“We had records of what everyone had stolen. We called them, sat down with them, and told them to return what they had taken, while allowing them to keep 5%,” Mr Atiku said.
According to him, he chaired the committee responsible for the recovery exercise, with former intelligence chief Aliyu Gusau serving as a member.
Mr Atiku said the approach enabled the government to recover funds for the Nigerian state, describing it as part of the measures taken by the administration to address corruption.
He added that the government subsequently established the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as a dedicated institution to investigate and combat financial crimes.
“I chaired the committee, with Aliyu Gusau as a member. That was how we recovered money for Nigeria. Later, we established the EFCC to fight corruption,” he said.
His comments come amid renewed debate over corruption, the recovery of public funds and the effectiveness of Nigeria’s anti-corruption institutions.
The EFCC was established in 2002, during the administration of President Obasanjo, as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s response to economic and financial crimes.
