Corruption has been described as Nigeria’s major problem, hindering development, creating a wide gap between the rich and the poor. While the majority wallowed in poverty, few in government pocketed our commonwealth.
Here are some of the biggest corruption cases and allegations that shook Nigerians in 2015 as compiled by Greeennews.ng.
- Dasukigate
Former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki
Perhaps one of the biggest scams in the history of Nigeria as the APC –led federal government opened a can of worms when it decided to probe the spending of arms fund under the immediate past administration of the PDP.
Sambo Dasuki and four others are standing trial for allegedly laundering and diverting $2.1 billion (N546 billion) arms fund. This is enough to fund the 2016 proposed budgets of Ebonyi, Kebbi, Sokoto, Edo, Yobe and Ekiti states altogether.
The arms scandal became even more worrisome as media organisations were also caught in the scam. Although, the media organisations, mostly newspaper publishers, claimed the money was meant for compensation for the damages the Military cost them in 2014. Some of the media organisations are now returning N9million each to the Office of the National Security Adviser though NPAN.
- Diversion of One Trillion by Former EFCC Boss, Ibrahim Lamorde
Former EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde
The stain of corruption did not spare anti-graft agencies as former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, was accused of fraudulently diverting over N1tn proceeds from corruption recovered by the agency.
A petition by George Uboh alleged that part of the diverted fund included the loot recovered from a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha; and ex-Inspector-General of Police, Tafa Balogun.
Lamorde, who is yet to clear his name in the scandal, was later sacked as EFCC chairman on the 9th November 2015 by President Muhammadu Buhari.
3 NIMASA N2.6Billion Scam
Former NIMASA DG, Patrick
Former Director-General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Patrick Ziadeke Akpobolokemi and five others staff of the agency are currently standing trial on a 22-count charge for allegedly stealing the sum of N2.6 billion belonging to NIMASA.
Embarrassingly, Akpobolokemi on December 14 resisted re-arrest by the EFCC within court premises after he was granted bail by the court. The drama which was caught on tap went viral on social media as EFCC operatives forcefully dragged Akpobolokemi into a waiting van.
Akpobolokemi is in EFCC custody and his awaiting trial.
- $1 billion missing monthly – Sanusi
Former CBN Governor and Emir Of Kano, Sanusi
Nigerians could not but screamed when former Central Bank Governor and Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, revealed that about $1bn (N260bn) went missing every month under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The former central bank governor, said this during a programme entitled ‘How a cancer of corruption steals Nigerian oil, weapons and lives’, which aired on The PBS NewsHour, an American daily evening television show.
The monarch said many dirty and shocking deals took place under the immediate past Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, who is currently being investigated in the United Kingdom.
“In Nigeria, there is no accountability at all and that is why I think Nigeria’s corruption is worse than corruption in most parts of the world. It is the worst type of corruption; It’s stealing”
“Frankly, I think a billion dollars under Jonathan a month was about what we were losing.” Sanusi said.
The allegation has not been investigated by Nigerian Government or Anti-graft agencies
- N6 Billion Bribe To Christian Leaders
President Of Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor
On the 4th of February 2015, The then Director-General, Buhari Presidential Campaign organisation, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, accused some church leaders of taking N6 billion bribe from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to campaign against the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd).
Meanwhile, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and the PDP denied the allegation but in a twist, a Borno-based Pastor, Kallamu Musa-Dikwa, on February 19, said that the money that was given to Pastors by the [former] president was actually N7bn and not N6bn as alleged by Amaechi.
- Illegal Diversion of $322million (N83.72 Billion) Abacha’s loot By Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and Ngozi Okonjo Iweala
Former Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Digging deep into the source of funding for the Dasukigate since the National Assembly never appropriated as much as $2.1Biliion for defence budget, it was discovered that Former Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala approved the diversion of $322 million Abacha’s loot to former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki to fund the purchase of arms to fight Boko Haram terror.
Okonjo-Iweala admitted transferring the money to Dasuki on approval of President Goodluck Jonathan but maintained that the money was to be treated as a loan.
- Fashola’s N78Million Website Scam
Former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, SAN
How can a website cost N78Million Naira? Why is www.fashola.com being paid for by the Lagos state government? These were the questions on the lips of concerned Nigerians during the heat of Former Governor of Lagos Babatunde Fashola (SAN) controversial website upgrade.
The contractor, Info Access Plus, denied receiving N78 million for the website upgrade but said though it quoted N12.5 million for the upgrade of the website, www.fashola.com, it only received N10 million from the state government.
The former governor, Fashola later said in a statement that only N12 million was actually awarded for the upgrade of the site while other services such as the handover countdown clock, mobile apps for Google, for iOS ipad, for Microsoft, and Blackberry and the annual maintenance cost for managing the site make up the total of N78 million.
Mr. Fashola is now a Minister of the federal republic and the rest is history for now.
- Saraki’s False Asset Declaration Scam
Senate President, Bukola Saraki
Just after emerging as the Senate President against the wish of his party, Bukola Saraki was arraigned by the Code of Conduct Bureau for alleged anticipatory declaring of assets owned while he was Governor of Kwara state in 2003.
Saraki was also accused of operating a foreign bank account while he was Governor, a punishable offence under the code of conduct act for public office holders.
After an Abuja High Court and Court of Appeal dismissed Saraki’s appeal to halt his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, The senate President finally get an injunction from the Supreme Court ordering the CCT to stay proceedings on Saraki’s trial.
The Supreme Court adjourned hearing till February 5.
- CCT Chairman Alleged Looting
Code of Conduct Tribunal Chairman, Justice Danladi Umar
Another shocking corrupt allegation in 2015 was that of Code of Conduct Tribunal Chairman, Justice Danladi Umar who was accused of spending N15.2million CCT’s money to purchase a Toyota Prado Jeep “without following due process”, among other allegations in a petition received by the Senate
The petition came at a time when Umar was presiding over the trial of the Senate President Bukola Saraki for alleged false asset declaration.
However, since the beginning of hearing by the Senate House committee, the petitioners have failed to appear before the sitting.
- N195 Billion Maina Pension Scam
Abdurasheed Maina
The anti- graft agency is investigating how the biometric contract allegedly awarded to streamline pension administration under Abdurasheed Maina actually became a conduit for stealing pension fund.
Alhaji Maina misappropriated billions of naira worth of pension funds, which he claimed to have recovered from pension thieves. The senate committee probing pension funds management accused him of mopping up pension funds of about N195 Billion from banks and depositing the money in his private accounts.
On the 2nd November 2015, Maina was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Maina whereabout is still unknown.
32241 total views, 117 views today
