Several senior figures linked to the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari are being investigated and prosecuted for alleged corruption totalling an estimated ₦3.47 trillion.
At the centre of the storm are former ministers and top officials widely perceived as close allies of the late past president and members of the current ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, (APC).
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is currently investigating Chris Ngige, a former Minister of Labour, over an alleged ₦2.2 billion fraud.
Also, in November, the Commission declared a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, wanted in connection with an alleged ₦21.4 billion fraud. Sylva worked directly with Buhari, who also served as the President and substantive Minister of Petroleum Resources.
The former minister of aviation and close political associate, Hadi Sirika, is also facing charges over an alleged ₦2.7 billion fraud linked to aviation projects.
From Fanbourough Roadshow to Nigeria -Ethiopia’s airline deals, Hadi Sirika’s tenure at the Ministry of Aviation has been a mixed bag.
The most far-reaching allegations surround the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, whose tenure coincided with some of Nigeria’s most audacious monetary interventions and biggest quantitative easing in the form of Ways and Means.
The EFCC has accused Emefiele of arbitrarily allocating ₦3 trillion worth of foreign exchange, equivalent to $2 billion, without competitive bids or due process, allegedly conferring undue advantages on associates. Investigators further allege that he operated 593 bank accounts across different countries, unlawfully acquired a 753-unit housing estate in Abuja and illegally mismanaged more than ₦16 billion.
