Seven months after a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos ordered the Federal Government to release to Nigerians the list of public officials from whom public funds had been recovered, the list has yet to be released by the authorities. Justice Hadiza Shagari had on July 6, 2017, in her judgment in a suit filed by the Socio- Economic Rights and Accountability Project, directed the Federal Government to “immediately” release the names of the officials , the circumstances under which the funds were recovered and the exact amount recovered from each public official.
While responding to the judgment, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice , Abubakar Malami , had said the government would publish the names of the looters, in compliance with the court order , noting that the Federal Government totally agreed with the ruling. The Federal Government had on June 4, 2016, through the Minister of Information and Culture , Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed that it had recovered cash sums of N 78 ,325 , 354 , 631 . 82 , $185 ,119 ,584 .61 , £ 3 ,508 ,355 .46 and € 11 ,250 between May 29 , 2015, and May 25 , 2016 . He added that the assets and cash seized under interim forfeiture totalled $ 9bn , N 126 bn , £ 2. 4m and €303 , 399.
And on October 12 , 2017, the acting Chairman of EFCC , Ibrahim Magu, said at a forum that the cash recovered through the whistleblower policy had risen to over N 30 bn, in different foreign currencies. Meanwhile, the refusal to release the list or obey the court judgment was preceded by the promise voluntarily made in December 2015 by the President when he said he would unveil the names of the looters. He had said the only thing stopping the Central Bank of Nigeria from releasing the list at that time was to avoid jeopardising investigations and further recoveries. He also reiterated the promise in May 2016 at an anti -corruption summit in London that he would give a comprehensive report on the loot recovered on May 29, 2016 – Democracy Day , which he failed to do. And till date, the names of the looters have yet to be released.
Speaking on the protracted delay, the Executive Director , SERAP, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said the refusal of the Buhari-led administration to make the list public, as directed by the court, had called into the question the much – touted integrity of the administration. He said, “Once you make a promise , you should fulfil it . They said they would fight corruption , judgement was obtained to help you to fight corruption , yet you are not obeying the court order , it questions your integrity and sincerity as a government . This government is not doing what it promised .”