Nigeria’s information minister claims that 55 people who were government ministers, state governors, public officials, bankers and businessmen stole 6.8 billion dollars from Nigeria’s public purse over a seven-year period. Lai Mohammed says endemic corruption has enriched a small elite but left many Nigerians mired in poverty, despite the country being Africa’s top oil producer and having the continent’s biggest economy. President Muhammadu Buhari took office in May after winning an election largely fought on his vow to crackdown on corruption. Since then corruption charges have been levelled against a former national security adviser and a former defence minister, and the president last week ordered the investigation of ex-military chiefs for an alleged arms procurement fraud.
(Image source: Daily Post, Nigeria)