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President Muhammadu Buhari has explained why his administration’s resolve to arrest and prosecute corrupt government officials is yet to go into full swing.
Speaking on Tuesday during a question-and-answer session with members of the Nigerian community at the Nigerian House in Tehran, Iran, Buhari explained that it was easy for him, during his tenure as military Head of State in 1985, to arrest and put alleged corrupt individuals “in protective custody” for them to prove their innocence.
He, however, said that at the moment, the dictates of the rule of law and due process had slowed him down in the prosecution of corruption cases.
He said that those accused of corruption would have been prosecuted by now but for the need to thoroughly investigate them to gather enough evidence for their eventual trial.
President Buhari also disclosed that some former government officials have started voluntarily returning to the Federal Government’s coffers, part of the public funds they looted.
He however pointed out that the government was not satisfied with the partial return of the “looted funds”.
His words: “But, we are collecting documents and some of them have started voluntarily returning something. But we want all.
“When we get those documents then we will formally charge them to court and then we will tell Nigerians to know those who abused trust when they were entrusted with public funds or when they took it by force for 16 years.
“So, the day of reckoning is gradually approaching”.