• FG now have data on culprits, he says
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Buhari administration is making progress in its attempt to have treasury looters nailed.
President Muhammadu Buhari disclosed that his government now had information that is assisting it to recover the loots including identifying banks, financial institutions and countries in which payments were lodged.
He disclosed this when he met with visiting United States Congressmen, led by Darrel Issa, where he acknowledged the support and co-operation his administration was getting from the international community in gathering required intelligence for tracing and recovering stolen national resources.
“We are getting co-operation from the international community, including information on ships that take crude oil from Nigeria and change direction, or pour their contents into other ships mid-stream, “some monies were paid into individual accounts. We are identifying the financial institutions and countries that are involved.
“I have been assured that when we get all our documents together, the United States and other countries will treat our case with sympathy,’’ he said.
President Buhari told the Congressmen that his administration will welcome more regular meetings of the Nigeria-United States Bi-National Commission. He noted that the commission could serve as a more useful platform for the promotion of bilateral trade and economic relations as well as joint co-operation in the war against terrorism.
Earlier, Issa had assured the President that the United States will support Nigeria in its fight against Boko Haram by providing training, intelligence and military platforms. “We look forward to helping you in many ways to end the Boko Haram insurgency and the theft of crude oil in the Gulf of Guinea,’’ he said.