President Muhammadu Buhari has stated that his fight against corruption has cost him quite a bit and even earned him a stint in detention.
Buhari was speaking at the inauguration of the new multi-billion naira EFCC complex which he commissioned in Abuja.
The president said that in his first stint as President, he fought corruption but was opposed and eventually ousted out as Head of State by Babangida.
From December 1983 to August 1985, Buhari was at the helm of affairs in Nigeria in a period most Nigerians remembered as a no-nonsense period.
He also claimed that all those he had arrested at the time were released and their loot returned to them.
“This government promised to fight corruption but corruption will continue to fight back. (During) my first attempt to fight corruption, corruption fought back successfully. I was removed as the head of state, detained for three years and people who we recovered stolen money from were given back their money and I remained in detention up until my mother had to die to save me from detention.” he said.
Buhari then went on to list his achievements in the fight against corruption since taking over in 2016 as a civilian President. He claimed that the Nigerian Government has recovered trillions of Naira since his ascension to power and he expressed hope that the Executive and Judiciary could join hands to continue the war against corruption.
“Throughout my journey in national service and since 2015, I have made a very conscious decision to pursue a vigorous fight against corruption in public life.” He said.
“Since 2015, we have made significant progress in the fight against corruption. Everyone now knows that corrupt officials will be held to account, no matter how long it takes.
“We have recovered and are still recovering trillions of naira that were stolen in the past few years by people without conscience.
“We are pursuing recoveries everywhere and are making sure that anyone who has been found culpable is made to answer for his or her crime under the law.
“It is my hope and expectation that the judiciary, which is a critical stakeholder and partner in the war against corruption, would continue to collaborate with the executive to bring corrupt people to book.”