President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday urged the World Bank to do all within its powers to facilitate the speedy repatriation of stolen funds back to Nigeria. He made the call during a meeting with the visiting Managing Director of the World Bank, Ms. Sri Mulyani Indrawati, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Buhari said the repatriation of the additional $320 million in Switzerland, which has been identified as being illegally taken from Nigeria during the late Sani Abacha’s administration, will help to ease the current economic hardship in the country.
The President, in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, assured Ms Indrawati that his administration was taking appropriate steps to ensure that public funds are no longer stolen or misappropriated by government officials.
He said: ‘‘We need the support of the World Bank for the repatriation of the funds.
