$9bn stolen from Nigeria's treasury, minister saysJanuary 19, 2016 - 10:04 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Fifty-five people, including former governors, Cabinet ministers and government workers, stole $9 billion dollars from Nigeria's treasury, the information minister said Monday, Jan 18, according to the Associated Press. Lai Mohammed made the allegations as he kicked off a "national sensitization campaign," appealing to Nigerians to join the fight against corruption that is crippling what should be a rich nation with Africa's biggest economy, population and oil production. The looted 1.35 trillion Nigerian naira could have built 36 hospitals or educated 4,000 children through university, Mohammed said. He said it was stolen between 2006 and 2013, when the naira stood at about 150 to the dollar, half today's value. Mohammed did not identify the 55 accused but said bankers and businessmen are among them. The funds include $2.1 billion meant to buy weapons to fight Boko Haram's 6-year-old Islamic uprising that has killed some 20,000 people but instead was diverted to the election campaign of former President Goodluck Jonathan and his party, Mohammed said. Jonathan lost March 2014 elections to former military dictator Muhammadu Buhari, who promised to halt corruption and the insurgency. Buhari said Monday that a multinational force has driven Boko Haram into "fall-back positions" and uprooted them from all territory they held. Mohammed denied that the war against corruption was a vendetta against the opposition. He said, "If we don't kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria." Nigeria's judiciary is critical to the fight, he said. Three different courts have granted bail to Jonathan's former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki, who is accused of being instrumental in the theft of the $2.1 billion and has said he diverted the money on Jonathan's orders. Buhari has said he will not allow Dasuki out of detention. Photo: ABC News Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |