Lai To PDP, ‘Your Threats And Blackmails Won’t Stop Release Of More Looters’ List

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, says the Federal Government will not be intimidated into discontinuing release of names of people who looted the nation’s treasury.

Mohammed said this on Sunday in a statement by his media aide, Segun Adeyemi in Abuja.

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The minister said since the release of the first and second looter’s lists, there have been attempts by the opposition to intimidate and blackmail the government.

Uche Secondus, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who was named among the alleged looters, had filed a defamation suit against Mohammed.

Mohammed had claimed the PDP chairman collected N200million from Sambo Dasuki, former National Security Adviser (NSA), an allegation Secondus denied.

On Friday, a high court in River state granted Secondus leave to summon Mohammed.

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But the minister said the government will not bow to “antics of hack writers and threats of litigation”.

He also dismissed reports that the anti-graft war has been politicised, adding that the government was aware that corruption will always fight back swiftly.

Mohammed further challenged anyone who feels that he or she has been wrongly accused to seek redress in court.

“All the fuss about politicising the anti-corruption fight is aimed at preventing the government from releasing more looters’ names and at the same time muddling the waters. We strongly disagree with them,” Mohammed said.

“But 1,000 negative write-ups or editorials will not deter us from releasing the third and subsequent lists. For those who have chosen to give succour to looters, we wish them the best of luck with their new pastime.

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“We know where the pressure is coming from. However, the die is cast. We will not stop until we have released the names of all those who have looted our commonwealth. Those who have not looted our treasury have nothing to be afraid of.

“We do not have the power to try or convict anyone. That is the exclusive preserve of the courts.

“But we have the power to let Nigerians know those who turned the public treasury into their personal piggy banks, on the basis of very concrete evidence, and that is what we are doing.

“We are not underestimating the desperation of the looters, but we wish to assure Nigerians who are justifiably outraged at the mindless plundering of the nation’s wealth also of our determination not to back down.

“Nigerians must know those who have wrecked the country and mortgaged the future of their children.”

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