Nigerian president orders corruption probe of top aides

By Rafiu Ajakaye

LAGOS, Nigeria

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered a probe into some of his top aides reportedly linked to corrupt activities, saying anyone found to have abused his office will face prosecution.

“The attention of the presidency has been drawn to a number of reports in the media, in which various accusations of corruption have been leveled against some top officials in the administration,” presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said in statement late Sunday.

“In that regard, President Buhari has instructed the Attorney General of the Federation to investigate the involvement of any top government officials accused of any wrongdoing. If any of them are liable they will not escape prosecution,” he added.

The statement came amid parliament's call on the secretary to the government Babachir Lawal to resign from the cabinet over allegations claiming he awarded government contracts to his own firm. Lawal has denied the claim, saying the allegations that he was still signatory to the firm's accounts were not true. He however admitted the firm had received the contract.

Buhari’s anti-corruption czar Ibrahim Magu has also been accused of corruption, leading to the parliament refusing to confirm him on account of an intelligence reports authored by the secret police.

A presidential panel on corruption lampooned the parliament for the rejection, which it said was instigated to halt the ongoing probes and prosecutions of certain top parliamentarians, including the senate president Bukola Saraki.