African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar says he and former President Olusegun Obasanjo recovered funds he describes as stolen from Nigeria after they assumed office in 1999. At a news briefing on Wednesday, Atiku says they contacted people alleged to have taken public money and asked them to return it, while keeping a small portion for themselves.
Atiku says the approach was carried out based on records of alleged theft, and that Aliyu Gusau served as a committee member while Atiku chaired it. He adds that Obasanjo initially reacted angrily, but was later pacified with explanations about how the process should be handled. The reports also say that the government he described inherited the situation from the period of former head of state General Sani Abacha.
In the accounts provided, both outlets frame Atiku’s statements as part of efforts to recover funds and tackle corruption, including the later establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
