We Recovered Stolen Money’ – Atiku Reveals What Happened Under Obasanjo

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has recalled how he and former President Olusegun Obasanjo recovered funds allegedly taken from public coffers during their administration.

Atiku made the disclosure while speaking to journalists on Wednesday, reflecting on the measures adopted by the administration after it came into power in 1999.

According to the former Vice President, one of the major challenges confronting the new government was recovering public funds allegedly diverted by individuals.

He said the administration had records identifying those suspected of taking government money and decided to engage them directly as part of efforts to recover the funds.

Atiku explained that the individuals were invited for discussions and asked to refund the money, with an arrangement allowing them to retain five per cent as an incentive for returning the funds.

He said, “We had records of what everyone had stolen. We called them, sat down with them, and told them to return what they had taken, while allowing them to keep five per cent.”

The ADC candidate disclosed that he headed a committee responsible for the recovery exercise, with former military intelligence chief, Aliyu Gusau, serving as a member.

“I chaired the committee, with Aliyu Gusau as a member. That was how we recovered money for Nigeria,” Atiku said.

He also recalled that Obasanjo was initially angered by the situation when he assumed office in 1999.

Atiku said he subsequently intervened and convinced the former president that the government needed to adopt a different approach to tackling the issue.

According to him, the administration later established the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as part of efforts to create a stronger institutional framework for combating corruption.