A member of the United Kingdom parliament has accused a former Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, of stealing half of the funds in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and moving them to London.
The UK parliament member made the allegation on Monday, November 23, 2020 during the House deliberation on the aftermath of the EndSARS protest, a demostration against police brutality and bad governance in Nigeria.
The parliament are debating on possible sanctions to be meted on Nigerian Government officials regarding the roles they played during the #EndSARS protest, and the killing of unarmed protesters at the Lekki toll gate.
Speaking during the plenary session on Monday, a parliamentarian alleged that Gen. Gowan, who was head of state in Nigeria from August 1966 to July 1975, looted half of CBN money while he was in power.
“What we are seeing in Nigeria today is part of that story. It is a tragedy we are all witnessing because we see things falling apart.
“The problem this time is not foreign pressure known as colonialism. The pressure instead is corruption and violence and attempts at control (of power).
“We need to call out the corruption, we need to use the powers that we have in this country to stop those who are profiting from the wealth of that great nation and hiding it here.
“Now some people will remember when general Gowon left Nigeria, he took half of the Central Bank, so it is said, and moved to London.
“We know today, even now in this great city of ours, there are sadly some people who have taken the wealth of Nigerian people and hidden their ill-gotten gains here.
“We know that our banks sadly have been used for that profit or that illegal transfer of asset and that means that the UK is in a unique position in being able to actually do something to really exert pressure on those who have robbed Nigerians,” he opined.
Watch the video below:
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KanyiDaily had reported how Nigerian Soldiers opened fire on peaceful #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki toll gate, killing nine people and injuring so many others on Tuesday night, October 21, 2020.
Following the shooting incident, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu blamed “forces beyond his control” for the attack, while insisting that he had no authority over military engagements.
Initially, the Nigerian Army denied deploying soldiers to the shooting scene at Lekki, adding that videos showing soldiers opening fire on the protesters were untrue as it was photoshopped.
However, the Army Chief, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai admitted that Nigerian soldiers were deployed to Lekki, noting that the officers were only ensuring compliance with a curfew put in place by Sanwo-Olu, earlier that day during the #EndSARS protest.
During an interview with CNN, Governor Sanwo-Olu pointed accusing fingers at the Nigerian Army for being responsible for the shooting of protesters at Lekki toll gate.
Reacting in a statement titled “Alleged Massacre of Protesters at Lekki Toll Plaza”, the Nigerian Army said its troops were deployed to Lekki, but that its operatives never opened fire on the protesters.
The Army Division explained that the intervention of the soldiers was on the request of the Lagos State Government to restor order to the troubled state.