SERAP wins: Court orders FG to publish names of looters, monies recovered

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, ordered the Federal Government to “immediately release to Nigerians information about the names of high ranking public officials from whom public funds were recovered and the circumstances under which funds were recovered, as well as the exact amount of funds recovered from each public official.”

Trial judge, Justice Hadiza Shagari made the order following a Freedom of Information suit by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP.
The suit followed disclosure last year by the Federal Government of funds recovered from some high-ranking public officials and private individuals.
In her judgment, Justice Shagari agreed with SERAP that Federal Government has a legally binding obligations to tell Nigerians the names of all suspected looters of the public treasury past and present.”
Defendants in the suit are the Minister of Information Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government, yesterday, agreed it would publish the names of treasury looters as ordered by the court so Nigerians can see.
Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami(SAN), disclosed this to newsmen yesterday, after the Federal Executive Council meeting.
According to Malami, the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government totally agrees with the ruling of the court and hence, will carry out the order as long as it does not amount to violation of the rules of the court.