3 Ex-Governors Convicted For Corruption Under Buhari

At least three former governors have been successfully convicted for various corruption-related offences by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) since President Muhammadu Buhari took power in 2015.

President Buhari had repeatedly said fighting corruption to the barest minimum is at the core of his administration’s objectives.

On Monday, the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, said the Commission had secured 703 convictions since 2015 when the Buhari administration took power.

Among the convictions were those of former Adamawa State Governor, Bala Ngilari, former Plateau State Governor, Joshua Dariye, and a former governor of Taraba State, Jolly Nyame.

The Federal High Court in Abuja had in March this year, sentenced Nyame to 14 years in jail for misappropriating the sum of N.64 billion while in office.

Ngilari was sentenced to 5 years in prison by the High Court in Adamawa State after he was found guilty on all the five counts of conspiracy in awarding a N167 contract for the purchase of 25 units of vehicles for the state without following due process.

Dariye on his part was sentenced to 14 years in prison after he was found guilty of diverting N1.162 billion state ecological funds between 1999 and 2007 while he was governor of Plateau State.

Meanwhile, Magu had at a press conference held to mark the third anniversary of his chairmanship of the EFCC, said: “In the three years that I have been in charge of EFCC, we have secured 703 convictions. For me, it was an auspicious opportunity to contribute my quota to Mr President’s vision of a corruption-free nation.

“The opportunity to fully subscribe to President Buhari’s mantra to `kill corruption before it kills us’, was for me, the highest call to duty – one that required absolute commitment and passion.

“Indeed, the task of fighting corruption in Nigeria has never been, is not and can never be an easy one,” he said.

He said that in 2015, ”there were 103 convictions; in 2016, 194 convictions; in 2017, 189 were secured while 217 convictions were secured from January, 2018 until date”.

Magu said that during the period, “we have set recovery records to the envy of virtually all law-enforcement agencies in Africa.

“It is on record that about 90 per cent of all recoveries in Nigeria is through the EFCC, following court orders which granted our prayers for interim and final forfeiture of looted funds.

“The recoveries under my watch between November, 2015 and today include over N794 billion.

“The Pounds Sterling recovered stands at 1,115, 930.47. The Euros recovered in the period is 8,168,871.13.

“There is also the sum of 86,500 CFA and hundreds of properties such as filling stations, petroleum products, land and jewellery.

“Also, automobiles, real estate, vessels, hospitals, company shares and heavy machinery and broadcast equipment have been seized from corrupt elements between 2015 and 2018.

“A hospital, St. Solomon Health Care Centre, located at No. 24, Adeniyi Jones Street, Ikeja, Lagos, has also been forfeited finally,’’ he said.

He added that between May and June, the commission secured the convictions of two former governors, who were jailed 14 years each.

“It is on record that such an achievement is unprecedented in the fight against corruption over the last three years.’’

Mr Magu said that the battle to make the country a place where foreign investors would be confident to invest in is, without doubt, ”one that must be fought by all Nigerians”.

“Perhaps, it is fair to describe the task of championing the anti-corruption crusade as one of the most difficult jobs in the world, because corruption always fights back viciously on many fronts.

“Recall also that across the country, EFCC offices and officers, including operatives, lawyers and media personnel, have been physically attacked in the course of the discharge of our duties.

“Notwithstanding all that, we can still say that overall, for us as an anti-graft agency, it has been, so far, so good,” said the Acting EFCC Chairman.