FG: We can’t be intimidated over looters list

The Federal Government said no amount of pressure or intimidation will prevent it from releasing more names of alleged looters of public funds.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said this in a statement issued yesterday by his media assistant, Segun Adeyemi.

Alhaji Mohammed said since the release of the first two lists of alleged looters, there have been attempts to intimidate the Federal Government into discontinuing release of more names.

“Hack writers have inundated the social and traditional media with articles casting aspersion on the lists, while some newspapers have even resorted to writing editorials against FG over the release of the lists. Most of the write-ups have accused the government of politicising the anti-graft war by releasing the lists. We strongly disagree with them.

“We do not have the power to convict anyone. That is the exclusive preserve of the courts, but we have the power to let Nigerians know those who turned the public treasury into their personal piggy banks, on the basis of concrete evidence, and that is what we are doing,” he said.

The minister said the fuss about politicising the anti corruption fight was to prevent government from releasing more names saying “1000 negative write-ups or editorials will not deter us from releasing the third and subsequent lists”.

Alhaji Mohammed therefore challenges those who feel they have been wrongly accused to seek redress in court rather than “engaging in exhibitionist sophistry”.