List of Alleged Looters in Buhari’s Cabinet, As Released By Jonathan's Former Aide, Omokri

A former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on New Media, Mr. Reno Omokri, has faulted the list of looters released by the Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed, saying the list did not contain even one member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Omokri, who has also released a list of alleged looters in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet, said in a statement yesterday that the list released by Mohammed has proved that Buhari, the Information Minister and the APC are not fighting corruption but fighting opposition.

Omokri said he took the pains to produce a ‘teaser’ looters list of APC members who are collectively alleged to have looted over $2 billion and challenged President Buhari and the Information Minister to explain why these men did not feature on their list.

The former Presidential aide also sought to know these alleged looters have continued to remain in the APC government where they wield immense powers and influence, even over the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that is meant to prosecute them.

Omokri, who threatened to release more names, depending on the reaction of the President Buhari- led government, listed the alleged looters in APC to include: Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, whom he said was indicted by the Justice George Omeregi led Rivers State Judicial Commission of Inquiry of looting ₦97 billion along with co indictees, including a former army general.

He also named Saminu Turaki, whom he alleged to have looted ₦36 billion and was first charged before Justice Sabi’u Yahuza of the Federal High Court in Dutse, Jigawa State before his current trial before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba at the FCT High Court.

Omokri also identified Timipre Sylva as a well known financier and supporter of the APC administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, saying that he was also alleged to have looted ₦19.7 billion.

Omokri disclosed that Sylva was facing trial before Justice A. Y. Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja until two days after President Buhari was sworn in, when the new APC government withdrew the charges on June 1, 2015 and on October 3, 2018, the EFCC returned to the former governor, 48 houses seized from him during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2013.

Omokri also listed Murtala Nyako, who allegedly looted ₦29 billion and is currently facing trial before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, as well as Senator Danjuma Goje, who allegedlt looted ₦25 billion and is facing trial before the Federal High Court, sitting in Jos.

The former presidential aide also listed Senator Abdullahi Adamu, who was charged to court on March 3, 2010 for allegedly looting ₦15 billion with the help of 18 other accused persons and Mr. Orji Kalu, who allegedly looted ₦3.2 billion and is facing trial before Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.

Omokri also named the Minister of Solid Minerals, Mr. Kayode Fayemi, whom he said was indicted by the Ekiti Judicial Commission of Inquiry headed by former Ekiti State chief judge and the Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti, Ademola Ajakaiye, of sundry financial malfeasance totaling over ₦2 billion.

Other APC chieftains named by Omokri include: Senator Joshua Dariye, who allegedly looted ₦1.2 billion and is currently facing trial before Justice Adebukola Banjoko at an FCT High Court and a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal, who allegedly gave a ₦200 million contract to his own company from monies meant to look after Internally Displaced Persons.

Omokri noted that Lawal had been sacked after protest by the opposition and civil society but still not been charged, instead, was replaced by his own cousin.

He challenged President Buhari and Mohammed to explain to Nigerians why they failed to reveal to Nigerians that President Buhari himself is a major beneficiary of the funds that the former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki, received from the treasury for the security of Nigerians.

“I assure Nigerians that Sambo Dasuki is not in jail for a crime he committed in 2015. He is rather being persecuted for a ‘crime’ he committed in 1985,” Omokri added.

Omokri argued that by the omission of the names of APC chieftain in the list of looters, the Buhari-led federal government has vindicated Transparency International.

“According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, Nigeria is more corrupt today under Buhari than at any other time since Transparency International started keeping records. We have moved 12 places backward from 136 to 148. Yet this administration has the guts to accuse a government under whom Nigeria made her best ever progress on the Corruption Perception Index of corruption? We moved from 144 to 136 in 2014 under President Jonathan because that government fought corruption in court and not through the media,” he stated.