President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said his administration said his government had started identifying banks, financial institutions and countries in which payments for stolen Nigerian crude oil had been made. A statement by President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the President acknowledged the support and cooperation his administration was receiving from the international community in gathering required intelligence for tracing and recovering of stolen national resources.
Buhari reportedly told the US congressmen led by Rep. Darrel Issa, “We are getting cooperation from the international community, including information on ships that take crude oil from Nigeria and change direction, or pour their contents into other ships mid-stream. Some monies were paid to individual accounts. We are identifying the financial institutions and countries that are involved. I have been assured that when we get all our documents together, the United States and other countries will treat our case with sympathy.’’
He also told them that his administration would welcome more regular meetings of the Nigeria-United States Bi-National Commission, noting that the commission could serve as a more useful platform for the promotion of bilateral trade and economic relations as well as joint cooperation in the war against terrorism.
Issa assured Buhari that the US would support Nigeria against Boko Haram by providing training, intelligence and military platforms.