Looters’ List: Secondus’ defamation suit may not save culprits as FG compiles fresh, comprehensive list

*55 looters of N1.34trn under Jonathan yet included, FG will – Sagay

As controversy continues to trail the release of looters’ list by the Federal Government in the last one week, there are strong indications that government, unperturbed by suit against the list releasing officer and Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, is compiling fresh but comprehensive names of people alleged to have looted the nation’s treasury.

It was learnt that the fresh list might contain names of those who are yet to be arraigned in courts for corruption.  The list may also include names of former governors, ministers and even bankers.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had in the past said 55 persons stole N1.34tn under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. Last week, he released 29 names, who he said took money from the office of the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sabo Dasuki (Rtd).

Many of the names he released were, however, those already undergoing trial for alleged corruption while the names of members of the former ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party, who had defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) were conspicuously omitted from the list.  It was however explained that the names released so far were based on demand of National Chairman of PDP, Uche Secondus, who challenged the Federal Government to publish name of anybody that looted under the watch of PDP government if it was sure of his allegations.

The government, wondering why responding to PDP’s challenge should lead to the kind of negative reaction that followed the first list from the main opposition, moved on with the second list clearing the air on the releases that the names of looters made public on the request of the PDP were based on verifiable facts.

The two lists contained names of those in the PDP on the basis of which the critics and PDP leadership have kicked.  The PDP had subsequently criticised the government, accusing it of being biased and diverting attention from its alleged incompetence, but could not explain how members of APC who not only were not part of the PDP government in their years should be mischievously listed as looters of national treasury.

Speaking on TVC Journalists’ Hangout on Thursday, however, an editor, Mr. Jide Kolade-Otitoju, cleared the criticisms saying they were probably coming on heels of the fact that there are people who looted as PDP members before but later decamped to APC and that they are in the current APC government.

Meanwhile, a source close to the Presidency, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told one of our correspondents in Abuja on Friday, that the government, through the Ministry of Information and Culture, would soon release another list.

He said that the next batch would be more comprehensive and would contain the names of those who either took money from the office of the former NSA or directly from the Federal Government before the 2015 elections.

He said the government was aware of the controversy that surrounded the release of the first two lists, adding that the names of some persons considered to be close to the government could be in the third list.

The source said, “Between you and me, I can authoritatively tell you that we are compiling a fresh list. We won’t release it until we are satisfied with it. We want to be thorough. People will be shocked when we release the fresh names.

“Those who accused us of being biased will know that we know what we are doing. The first list was a fraction. When the second one came out, people were surprised. As for the next one, people will be shocked. I won’t say more than that.”

Emails sent for the Minister and APC’s reactions were yet to be responded to as at the time of filing this report.

Our list includes former governors, ministers, bankers –Sagay

However, the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), in a press interview confirmed that the names of 55 persons that allegedly looted N1.34 trillion under Jonathan’s regime were not in the lists of looters released by the Federal Government.

He said he was very sure that the Federal Government would publish the names of these alleged looters. He said, “Yes, I’m sure. In fact, there is a paper containing all their names, the charges against them, how far their cases have gone, some of them have never been charged.

“That list includes former governors, ministers, bankers and so on. That is another list entirely.”

He, however, refused to mention any of the names on the list, saying, “No, I don’t want to mention any names for now. There are people on that list that the court declared that the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) had no right to prosecute for technical reasons, not for substantive reasons.”