Stolen Assets: Osinbajo Solicits International Collaboration For Return

By Ogbolu George

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday in Abuja, called on foreign countries where Nigeria’s stolen assets were kept to return them.

Osinbajo said this while opening a two-day National Dialogue on Corruption, organised by the Office of the Vice President and the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC).

According to Osinbajo, the cooperation of the international community “is one of the critical issues in our fight against corruption.”

Difficult process

”We find that the process of returning assets, aside from the judicial process, is so difficult and so complicated that it could just take you literally years to get assets returned.

”And I think that it is important for countries of the world where stolen assets are located to really work with us in ensuring that these assets are returned speedily.

”I know that the United Kingdom is working with us in particular on this issue of beneficiary register.

”That will be extremely useful for us because we will now be able to discover who is behind some of the names of companies and other shelves that are used to hide stolen assets.

“Aside from the judicial process, the whole process of returning assets is so difficult and complicated that it could just take you literally years to get assets recovered,” he stated.

Osinbajo, who said corruption in Nigeria was systemic, also noted that none of the three arms of government could absolve itself from graft.