Many Nigerian looters hiding in Ghana – Magu

…Says EFCC set to go after them, recover Nigeria’s stolen wealth

TRACKING ____Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, says many Nigerian looters are hiding in neighbouring Ghana.

Speaking in Abuja on Friday, Magu said the commission was putting resources together to go after them and recover the country’s wealth stashed in that country.

The EFCC boss spoke when a delegation of the Chartered Institute of Public Resources Management and Politics (CIPRMP) visited the commission’s headquarters.

According to him, the EFCC is partnering with its counterpart in Ghana on the impending asset recovery operation.

“Corruption is a borderless crime. We are putting our resources together to allow us go to Ghana without restrictions and recovery our stolen property back home.

“I am appealing to Nigerians to trust the Commission with relevant information about corrupt practices in the country.

“There are a lot of looters hiding in Ghana. We are already talking, we will bring them back. We will go bring the assets back to the country,” he said.

Magu also urged Nigerians to disregard the “falsehood” in some selected news outlets about him and the commission, saying EFCC activities were transparent.

“We follow the international best practice when it comes to areas of investigations, tracing of looted assets, recovering looted assets. We all have our records.

“We are aware that we have ruffled many feathers. We have touched the untouchables and we have dared lions in their dens.

“We are doing all these, not because we love dangers and death, we are doing them because we value the comfort and development which anti-corruption brings.

“We value good lives for our fellow men and women and we value better future for all our children. The costs of fighting corruption may be grave, but the costs of not fighting it is more deadly.

“This is why we continue to call on every Nigerian to enlist in the anti-graft war. A good war is a war that is waged by the majority for the good of the majority, ” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the EFCC boss made the remarks after he was decorated as fellow of the institute by the delegation.

Magu expressed gratitude for the award and promised to strive at all times to uphold the tenets of the Institute.

Earlier, the Executive Director, West African Region of CIPRMP, Mr. Richard’s Kpoku-Aquarte, urged Magu to see the recognition as a motivation to continue with the good services to his country.

He added that Magu’s “selfless services and proven professionalism” over the years had been particularly recognised by the Institute, hence the award.

“As you receive the symbols of your investiture today, you shall make a solemn pledge to continue to remain faithful, loyal and honest to the country.

“And always to uphold the green and white flag of an ambassador of this great nation, ” he said.

Kpoku-Aquarte commended President Muhammadu Buhari, who he said came on a rescue mission in 2015 to take Nigeria out of the woods by giving the anti-graft war a boost to tackle the evil menace of corruption in the country.