{"id":25082,"date":"2016-05-04T02:03:42","date_gmt":"2016-05-04T02:03:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/nigeria-officials-stole-15bn-from-anti-boko-haram\/"},"modified":"2016-05-04T02:03:20","modified_gmt":"2016-05-04T02:03:20","slug":"nigeria-officials-stole-15bn-from-anti-boko-haram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/nigeria-officials-stole-15bn-from-anti-boko-haram\/","title":{"rendered":"Nigeria officials &#8216;stole $15bn&#8217; from anti-Boko Haram fight"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>{About $15bn (\u00a310bn) was stolen from the fight against militant Islamists in Nigeria under the previous government, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has said.}<\/p>\n<p>The money was diverted through fraudulent arms contracts, he added.<\/p>\n<p>Several allies of ex-President Goodluck have been put on trial after being accused of awarding fake arms contracts worth $2bn.They deny any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n<p>President Muhammadu Buhari, who came to office last year, has vowed to fight corruption and recover &#8220;stolen funds&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Those facing charges included former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki, ex-military chiefs and several contractors. They have all pleaded not guilty.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking at a university in the south-western city of Ibadan, Mr Osinbajo said the amount stolen was more than half of Nigeria&#8217;s current foreign exchange reserves of $27bn.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It is important to send a message that no public officer can steal the resources of this country and expect to escape,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Africa&#8217;s largest economy and oil exporter has been hit hard by the global slump in crude prices.<\/p>\n<p>It is facing its worst economic crisis in decades, with two-thirds of the country&#8217;s 36 states struggling to pay salaries to workers.<\/p>\n<p>The government says it inherited an &#8220;empty treasury&#8221; when it took office last year.<br \/>\nMr Buhari&#8217;s political opponents accuse him of waging a witch-hunt against the previous administration.<\/p>\n<p>During Mr Jonathan&#8217;s rule, soldiers complained that despite the military&#8217;s huge budget, they were ill-equipped to take on militant Islamist group Boko Haram.<\/p>\n<p>The insurgents have killed thousands in north-eastern Nigeria in their campaign, launched in 2009, to create an Islamic state.<\/p>\n<p>Mr Jonathan ruled Nigeria from 2010 to 2015.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-12084 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/_89556355_gettyimages-472947980.jpg\" alt=\"Heavily armed militants have caused widespread destruction in north-eastern Nigeria\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>{About $15bn (\u00a310bn) was stolen from the fight against militant Islamists in Nigeria under the previous government, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has said.} The money was diverted through fraudulent arms contracts, he added. Several allies of ex-President Goodluck have been put on trial after being accused of awarding fake arms contracts worth $2bn.They deny any wrongdoing. 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