ABUJA
— Senator Shehu Sani (APC, Kaduna Central Zone) has said that over
$200 billion was being stashed away in the United Arab Emirates, UAE,
specifically, its global financial hub, Dubai, by corrupt Nigerians.
Buhari,
last week in UAE, signed a “Judicial Agreements on Extradition,
Transfer of Sentenced Persons, Mutual Legal Assistance on Criminal
Matters, and Mutual Legal Assistance on Criminal and Commercial
Matters, which includes the recovery and repatriation of stolen
wealth.”
Senator
Sani said he was making the revelation from the point of strength as
the chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign and Domestic Debts, as well
as Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Sani,
who was fielding questions from journalists after women supporters
from his political ward paid him a solidarity visit at one of his
campaign offices in Kaduna, told reporters that any corrupt person
warming to President Muhammadu Buhari for cover would be exposed,
investigated and prosecuted.
He
said: “Corrupt Nigerians have stashed unbelievable amount of monies
in Dubai alone in the name of estates acquisition, purchase of exotic
houses and business partnership in the last 16 years. Some have
stashed raw cash. This is why the US, and Europe are making
conditions for laundering of money into their countries very
difficult.
“These
crooks have now found it conducive to use the Middle East and South
East Asia as their destinations. They use names of their cronies,
family members and friends to siphon public funds out of Nigeria.
“Some
of them are APC members, who had their political upbringing in the
then ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
“Sooner
than later those who are parading themselves as Buhari’s friends,
but are corrupt, will be interrogated, prosecuted because the
President does not know friend or relation as far as the fight
against corruption is concerned.”
“It
was based on the information on the quantity and quality of the
assets of corrupt Nigerians, that President Buhari had to sign that
agreement with UAE at Abu Dhabi. I can tell you that it was smart and
patriotic move.
“Let
me advise the President to steer clear of hypocrites, because it is
better to live with an enemy than hypocrite because hypocrite derives
joy from stabbing one’s back.
“Over
$200 billion Dollars are stashed away from Nigeria to Dubai alone.
This may the monies stolen since in the past 20 years. I am not
talking about estates and bonds and other securities bought with
Nigeria stolen money.
“Buhari
is going to recover all these monies and assets with the help of UAE.
“If
you notice now, since the agreement, some of the corrupt persons are
now rushing to Dubai to effect changes in the ownerships of the
ill-gotten assets. But, they are just wasting their time.
”President
Buhari needs the support of all Nigerians to wipe out corruption from
the country. The President is on rescue mission. He needs our
support.
“We
cannot sit down idly and watch people sabotaged Buhari, and I can
tell you that since Buhari went to Dubai, there were three attempts
to sabotage Buhari’s government.
“The
first one was that they planted a story in newspapers that there was
crisis in Buhari’s government because he went to Dubai;
“The
second one was that they planted fake lists of Nigerians that have
property in Dubai, while we were waiting for the original list of
those who have houses in Dubai. And the third one was to sponsor
foreign media to discredit Buhari’s economic policies”, he said.
Earlier,
leader of the women group, Hajiya Azumi Madugu, hailed Sani as friend
of the poor and an enemy of oppression.
Source. Vanguard