Recovery of Nigeria’s stolen assets very tedious and difficult - Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday admitted that it has become tedious for his administration to recover the nation’s stolen assets.

He said Nigerians were becoming impatient with him on the slow pace of recovery.



According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President spoke while receiving the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime, Mr. Yury Fedotov, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Shehu quoted the President as urging the UNODC to facilitate the faster recovery of Nigeria’s stolen wealth stashed abroad.

He said the process of recovering the stolen assets had “become tedious’’ to the consternation of many Nigerians.

“We are looking for more cooperation from the EU, United States, other countries and international institutions to recover the nation’s stolen assets, particularly proceeds from the stolen crude oil.

“It is taking very long and Nigerians are becoming impatient,” the President reportedly told his guest.

He also told Fedotov that his government has worked very hard in the past 11 months to reverse the negative global perception of Nigeria on corruption.

“Our genuine efforts to deal with corruption and drugs have earned us international respect and this has encouraged us to do more.

“We know that by fighting the scourge of drugs and corruption and rebuilding trustworthiness, integrity, good business practices, and imposing discipline on youths to avoid drugs, we are not doing a favour to the international community, we are doing a favour to ourselves, ’’ the President said.

Buhari also promised that his administration will work with the UN agency to rehabilitate young Nigerians who have been misled into consumption of illicit drugs and drug trafficking.

Fedotov told the President that UNODC has chosen Nigerian as a pilot country for support and strategic cooperation in the fight against drugs and corruption.