Nigerian looters hide cash in burial grounds

Abuja- Whistle-blowers have inundated the Nigerian anti- corruption agencies with information of looters hiding money in cemeteries.

Information and Culture minister Lai Mohammed disclosed receiving numerous reports of the looters also burying money in deep forests and their backyards.

The Senior Special Adviser to the minister, Mr Segun Adeyemi, said in a statement on Sunday that the whistle-blower policy was working and had led to the recovery of more funds in different currencies.

The minister thanked Nigerians for their commitment to helping the government tackle corruption through provision of useful leads to government agencies.

Since the whistle-blower policy was launched, the government, he said, had received tremendous support from Nigerians.

“Yes, there is monetary reward for any information that leads to recovery of looted funds, but from what we have seen, most of the Nigerians who have come forward with useful leads were driven by patriotism rather than reward.

”Nigerians have daily inundated the offices of the appropriate government agencies with valuable information,’’ said Mr Mohammed.

He thanked the whistle-blowers and noted that more funds were in the possession of looters than were available to government at all levels to meet its obligations.

The minister assured that the government would give full account of the recovered funds to Nigerians.

Whistleblowing has led to the recovery of more than $100 million from different locations in the last two weeks.

Monies in various currencies were recovered in Kaduna, Lagos and Abuja.

Some hard currencies were found in abandoned shops, private homes and shopping malls recently.

A maximum of 5 per cent of any recovered looted fund is paid to a whistle-blower.