The Human Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) has included former Governors Abdullahi Ganduje and Yahaya Bello of Kogi, as well as Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele, on its list of 100 corruption cases in Nigeria.
HEDA made this announcement at a public presentation on Monday, unveiling the eighth edition of its conference on the international anti-corruption court and a compendium of 100 high-profile corruption cases in Nigeria, held in Lagos.
On July 11, 2024, Ganduje, who is ranked fifth on the list, was arraigned by the Kano state government over allegations of bribery involving $413,000 and N1.38 billion. Ganduje, his wife Hafsat, his son Umar, and six others are accused of receiving kickbacks from contractors in 2016 and 2017, as well as conspiring to divert funds meant for healthcare equipment between 2020 and 2021.
Bello, who is ranked 28th on the list, faces charges of financial misappropriation and money laundering totaling N80.2 billion and N10 billion.
Emefiele, listed as the 27th most corrupt case, is accused of acquiring illicit assets worth about N11.4 billion.
Other prominent figures featured in the list include Orji Uzor Kalu, accused of N7.6 billion in money laundering, Ladi Adebutu, the Ogun PDP candidate in the March 18 governorship election, and Ikedi Ohakim, accused of N270 million money laundering.
The list also includes former Governor Willie Obiano, who faces a N4 billion money laundering charge.
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HEDA’s chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, explained that the event aims to raise awareness of the top corruption cases in Nigeria, emphasizing the importance of exposing perpetrators and involving the youth in the fight against corruption.
Mr Suraju said, “I believe that we must be hopeful in our fight against corruption, and also the sensitisation of the youths in this will go a long way to make things better.
“As you can observe, constantly doing this will call out the perpetrators of these corrupt practices and also create a sense of awareness of the ills in others who might be intending to do this.”
The event’s chairman, Funmi Falana, emphasized the importance of monitoring both the countries exporting corruption and those enabling it by receiving stolen funds.
“If there is no receiver, the taker will be less willing to take. Our focus is not just on how our money is being siphoned abroad, but also on finding ways to repatriate the stolen funds back to their rightful origin,” Ms. Falana stated.
The programme was organized by HEDA in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation.
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