President Buhari orders EFCC, ICPC to find funds stolen under Jonathan

President Muhammadu Buhari has commence probing of former President Goodluck Jonathan administration as in orders the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission to collate and locate funds embezzled under President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

The President’s directive was reportedly given shortly before his trip to the United States on July 20, 2015.

Punch Newspapers reports that the directive was given in order to ascertain the exact figure stolen under the former administration, before they can be traced to foreign countries, where they are stashed.

The international community, which has expressed its readiness in helping with the recovery of stolen funds, would require the documents to provide the assistance.

In response to the presidential directive, EFCC and ICPC have reportedly commenced the process of analysing petitions written against ministries, agencies and departments.

An operative of one of the anti-graft agencies, revealed to Punch that the agencies were more focused on the top ministries, department and agencies which attracted massive budgetary allocations from the Federal Government under the previous administration.

The ICPC is said to have began discreet investigation of civil servants believed to have acquired a lot of properties in Abuja with stolen funds.

Similarly, several political office holders in the previous administration have been interrogated for alleged corruption while many are still on the waiting list of the EFCC and the ICPC for interrogation.

The source was quoted to have said: “I think what is happening is not sudden; the President gave an instruction to the EFCC and the ICPC to ensure that they submit how much has been stolen in the various sectors of the economy.

“Since then, the Chairman of the EFCC called for all the files of the various agencies; they are quite many and they were being sifted.

“The ongoing investigation is meant to give the Presidency an idea of what was stolen within the country and in some cases outside.”