We’ve Identified Countries Holding Stolen Money – PMB

President Muhammadu Buhari disclosed yesterday that his administration had made headway in the bid to recover the country’s looted funds, by identifying financial institutions and countries in which payments for stolen Nigerian crude oil are deposited.

Buhari disclosed this during a meeting with United States Congressmen who paid him a visit at Aso Rock.

He said the breakthrough was made possible through the support and cooperation his administration was getting from the international community.

Buhari told the US Congressmen, led by Rep. Darrel Issa, that the international community had been helpful to Nigeria in terms of gathering required intelligence in tracing and recovering the country’s stolen resources.

He said: “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.”

President Buhari further told the Congressmen that his administration would welcome more regular meetings of the Nigeria-United States Bi-National Commission. This, he said, was necessary because the Commission could be a more useful platform for the promotion of bilateral trade relations as well as joint cooperation in the war against terrorism.

Earlier, Rep. Darrel had assured President Buhari that the United States will support Nigeria against Boko Haram by providing training, intelligence and military platforms.

“We look forward to helping you in many ways to end the Boko Haram insurgency and the theft of crude oil in the Gulf of Guinea”, Darrel had stated.