society
The Lootocracy: Why Nigeria Bleeds Despite Its Riches
The Lootocracy: Why Nigeria Bleeds Despite Its Riches.
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com
“From SENATORS padding budgets to GOVERNORS hoarding salaries, from MINISTERS stealing oil money to ORDINARY NIGERIANS demanding bribes – CORRUPTION is not just in government, it is in the people. Nigeria’s curse is not resources, but the greed that runs through POWER and SOCIETY.”
The Grand Theft Called Governance. Nigeria, the so-called “GIANT of AFRICA,” sits on vast oil reserves, fertile land and an energetic population of over 220 million. Yet it remains one of the poverty capitals of the world. Why? Because the wealth of the nation has been consistently looted, not only by PRESIDENT’S and MILITARY RULERS, but by SENATORS, MINISTERS, GOVERNORS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT CHAIRMEN and tragically, by ORDINARY CITIZENS who participate in the culture of corruption.
According to the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), over $582 billion in oil revenue has disappeared through corruption and mismanagement since independence in 1960. This figure is almost double Nigeria’s current GDP. While nations like the UAE and Qatar used oil wealth to build futuristic cities, Nigeria’s leaders turned oil into a curse, looting it to build mansions in Dubai, buy apartments in London and stash billions in Swiss accounts.
As Thomas Sankara, the revolutionary leader of Burkina Faso, once said: “A soldier without any political education is a potential criminal.” In Nigeria, leaders without moral education became criminals in power.
PRESIDENT’S and HEADS of STATE: The Original Looters. It would be hypocritical to discuss looting without mentioning Nigeria’s presidents and military rulers. General Sani Abacha, who ruled from 1993 to 1998, looted an estimated $5 billion, part of which is still being repatriated from Switzerland and the U.S. today. His name remains a global synonym for kleptocracy.
Olusegun Obasanjo’s civilian regime (1999–2007), though hailed for debt relief, was dogged by corruption in privatization deals. Power sector contracts worth $16 billion vanished with little to show in electricity supply.
Goodluck Jonathan’s administration (2010–2015) witnessed unprecedented oil theft, with former Central Bank Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi alleging that $20 billion was missing from NNPC accounts.
Even today, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria’s current president, is frequently accused by opposition and civil groups of building a vast political and financial empire on questionable sources, echoing the pattern of looting entrenched in Nigerian politics.
As Chinua Achebe declared in The Trouble with Nigeria: “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.”
SENATORS: Millionaires in Robes. Nigeria’s National Assembly is one of the most expensive in the world. According to a 2018 report by The Economist, each Nigerian senator earns over $450,000 annually in salaries and allowances, in a country where the minimum wage is less than Us$50 (₦30,000/₦70,000, though in some states). Beyond their bloated pay, senators pad budgets, demand kickbacks for constituency projects and sometimes pocket funds for projects that never exist.
In 2020, an investigation revealed that billions allocated to “CONSTITUENCY PROJECTS” across Nigeria had either been abandoned or poorly executed. Roads that were supposed to be built remain death traps, health centers remain uncompleted and water boreholes remain dry; yet the money was collected.
Nelson Mandela once said: “Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity, it is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right.” Nigerian senators, instead of fighting poverty, have institutionalized injustice.
MINISTERS and Oil Barons: The Big Thieves. No sector has been looted like Nigeria’s oil industry. Under Diezani Alison-Madueke, petroleum minister during Jonathan’s administration, billions vanished through shady oil deals. The U.S. Department of Justice seized over $144 million in assets linked to her alleged corruption, including luxury homes and jewelry.
Oil subsidies have also been a cash cow for thieves. In 2012, a government probe revealed that ₦1.7 trillion ($10 billion) was fraudulently claimed by fuel importers and government officials. Instead of subsidizing fuel for the masses, the scheme became a pipeline of wealth into private pockets.
GOVERNORS: Lords of the States. State governors, often referred to as “EMPERORS in AGBADA,” control billions in federal allocations. Many treat their states as personal estates. Former Delta State Governor James Ibori was convicted in the UK in 2012 for laundering over $250 million. In 2021, the British government returned £4.2 million of his loot.
In Plateau State, former Governor Joshua Dariye was jailed for embezzling ₦1.1 billion meant for ecological projects. Former Taraba Governor Jolly Nyame was convicted for diverting ₦1.6 billion of state funds. The list goes on.
Meanwhile, ordinary workers in these states often go months without salaries, pensioners die waiting for payments and infrastructure collapses.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT: The Forgotten Looters. At the grassroots, local government Chairmen (who should be closest to the people) often act as petty kings. Federal allocations to LGAs run into billions annually, but most Nigerians can hardly point to functioning primary schools, healthcare centers or roads built by their local governments. Instead, the funds vanish into private accounts, with no accountability.
The People’s Complicity. It is easy to point fingers at leaders, but ordinary Nigerians are also complicit. Police officers DEMAND ₦1000 bribes on the highways. Civil servants INFLATE contracts. Market women ADD “extra charges” to customers. Parents pay to SECURE jobs for their children. When corruption becomes a way of life, leadership simply reflects the people.
As Plato warned centuries ago: “The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.” Nigerians who normalize corruption are silently paving the way for more looters in power.
The Cost of Looting. The consequences of looting are everywhere. Nigeria has over 133 million people living in multidimensional poverty, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (2022). Roads are death traps, hospitals lack equipment and universities go on endless strikes. The country, once an agricultural powerhouse, now imports basic food items.
Every billion stolen is a hospital unbuilt, a school unfunded, a road unrepaired and a job lost. Looting is not an abstract crime; it kills, slowly but surely.
Nigeria’s Looting in Numbers
$582 Billion – Oil revenue lost to corruption since 1960 (NEITI).
133 Million Nigerians – Living in multidimensional poverty (NBS, 2022).
$450,000/year – What each senator earns in salaries and allowances (The Economist).
$5 Billion – Looted by General Sani Abacha alone (World Bank/DOJ).
₦1.7 Trillion ($10 Billion) – Fuel subsidy fraud uncovered in 2012.
$16 Billion – Power sector funds under Obasanjo’s watch, with little result.
£250 Million – James Ibori’s stolen wealth laundered abroad (UK conviction).
₦30,000/₦70,000 (less than $50) – Nigeria’s minimum monthly wage.
“Every billion stolen is a hospital unbuilt, a school unfunded, a road unrepaired and a job lost.”
A Call to Reckoning. Nigeria cannot continue like this. As Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, once said: “Corruption is the single biggest obstacle to Nigeria’s development.” Until looters (from presidents to LG chairmen, from senators to citizens) are punished and systemic reforms are enforced, Nigeria will remain trapped in underdevelopment.
The people must also rise. Protests like #EndSARS showed that Nigerians can mobilize against injustice. Anger must now move beyond hashtags. Citizens must demand accountability at every level, vote out corrupt politicians and refuse to normalize bribery in daily life.
The Way Forward: Nigeria needs a rebirth. A rebirth where OIL WEALTH builds industries, not foreign mansions. Where SENATORS legislate for the people, not for their pockets. Where GOVERNORS become servants, not emperors. Where LOCAL GOVERNMENTS bring development, not decay. Where CITIZENS reject corruption in all its forms.
The looting of Nigeria’s wealth is not just a failure of government; it is a betrayal by an entire system. The time has come to end this betrayal.
society
Nigerian Prophet Begs Federal Government to Stop Killing of Christians, Backs Tinubu’s Second Term
Nigerian Prophet Begs Federal Government to Stop Killing of Christians, Backs Tinubu’s Second Term
Abuja – Rev Prophet Dr Hungbenu Michael Olusegun, Founder of Celestrial Deliverance Church of Christ in Zhidu Village, Abuja, has made an emotional appeal to the Federal Government to stop the killing of Christians across Nigeria while also throwing his weight behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in office.
Speaking from his Abuja headquarters, the Prophet declared that leadership is a continuum and that Nigeria’s ongoing reforms require stability and time to bear fruit. He said, “Politics has nothing to do with religion. The ballot box is not the altar. Whether you are from the East, the North, the West, or the Yoruba community, we are one people under God.”
Rev Prophet Dr Hungbenu Michael Olusegun used the opportunity to make a special appeal to the Federal Government, saying, “I beg the Federal Government, in the name of God and for the sake of humanity: Please help stop the killing of Christians across this nation. From the villages to the cities, too much innocent blood has been shed. Targeted attacks on Christian communities must stop. We plead for stronger protection, justice for victims, and lasting peace.” He acknowledged the pain of insecurity, especially the killing of Christians and farmers across the Middle Belt and Northern Nigeria, but also noted verifiable security gains under President Tinubu including over 3,000 hostages rescued from bandits and terrorists in the last 12 months, deployment of new attack helicopters and surveillance drones to flashpoints, and a reduction in oil theft from over 400,000 barrels per day to under 200,000 barrels per day.
He said, “The issue is security, and security is everybody’s business. We cannot build a nation if our people are not safe. But we must also acknowledge progress.” He added that a second term would allow the administration to consolidate its security architecture rather than restarting with new leadership.
On economic reforms, Rev Prophet Dr Hungbenu Michael Olusegun argued that President Tinubu’s first term has witnessed the most audacious economic reforms in Nigeria’s recent history, including fuel subsidy removal saving the nation over ₦400 billion monthly, a unified exchange rate attracting over $2 billion in foreign portfolio inflows, the Student Loans Act benefiting over 100,000 students, and local government autonomy. He argued that no major economy in the world has successfully reversed course after landmark reforms within a single term, adding that abandoning the reform agenda now would plunge Nigeria back into uncertainty.
Rev Prophet Dr Hungbenu Michael Olusegun stressed that President Tinubu’s emergence broke a dangerous cycle, noting that Tinubu is the first Southern Muslim to lead Nigeria since 1993, balancing power after eight years of a Northern President. He pointed out that under Tinubu, the South holds the presidency of the Senate but the Speaker of the House is from the North-West. He urged, “Let the East join hands with the West. Let the North embrace the South. Let the Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, and all 250 plus tribes say: ‘Nigeria first.’”
Drawing comparisons to global examples such as India’s Narendra Modi, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, and Indonesia’s Joko Widodo, the Prophet argued that second terms deliver long-term prosperity. He said, “Nigeria is not an exception. If we change leadership every four years, we will remain a building site forever.”
Rev Prophet Dr Hungbenu Michael Olusegun closed with a prayer and a charge: “Nigeria will only rise when we rise above division. I am not speaking as Ogu, Yoruba, Igbo, or Hausa. I speak as a Nigerian, and as a minister of the gospel of peace. God bless President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” He urged all Nigerians to pray for the nation, support security agencies, and give President Tinubu the opportunity to complete what he has started. The press release was issued on 20th April 2026 from his church in Zhidu Village behind Piwoyi Village off Lugbe Airport Road, FCT Abuja.
society
₦100 Million Bribe Offer Rejected As Police STS Operatives Expose Criminal Syndicate
₦100 Million Bribe Offer Rejected As Police STS Operatives Expose Criminal Syndicate
The Special Tactical Squad (STS) of the Nigeria Police Force has recorded a major breakthrough in its sustained crackdown on the vandalisation of critical national infrastructure, with the arrest of two notorious suspects and the recovery of railway materials valued at over ₦400,000,000.
Acting on the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, psc(+), NPM, to decisively tackle acts of economic sabotage, operatives of the Force Intelligence Department – Special Tactical Squad (FID-STS), under the leadership of ACP Victor Ogbeide Godfrey, executed a swift, intelligence-driven operation that led to the arrest of Chisom Goodnews (32) and Ahmed Adamu (22) on April 9, 2026, in Akwanga, Nasarawa State.
The suspects were intercepted while transporting vandalised railway infrastructure in a calculated attempt to evade detection. Recovered from them was a trailer truck with registration number KRB 355 SX, conveying railway tracks and sleepers weighing approximately 60 tonnes, cleverly concealed under sacks of groundnut shells. Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects are part of a well-coordinated syndicate responsible for the illegal removal and transportation of railway materials from Bauchi State to Ilorin, Kwara State, representing a significant threat to Nigeria’s transportation infrastructure.
Speaking on the operation, ACP Victor Ogbeide Godfrey revealed that in a desperate bid to compromise the officers and frustrate the arrest, the suspects offered a staggering sum of ₦100 million as a bribe to allow them passage with the illicit cargo. The offer was, however, outrightly rejected by the operatives, who remained resolute in the discharge of their duties. This firm stance underscores the Nigeria Police Force’s renewed commitment to professionalism, integrity, and its zero-tolerance policy towards corruption.
Further investigations are ongoing to apprehend the intended receiver of the stolen materials in Ilorin, as well as other members of the syndicate, while efforts are being intensified to recover additional exhibits linked to the criminal network.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has reiterated the Force’s unwavering resolve to bring all perpetrators of economic sabotage to justice, warning that acts of vandalisation of public assets will not be tolerated. He assured that all individuals found culpable will be made to face the full weight of the law.
society
Nigeria Police Initiative Targets Youth Vices As POCACOV Undertakes Strategic Visit To Cross River
Nigeria Police Initiative Targets Youth Vices As POCACOV Undertakes Strategic Visit To Cross River
As part of a two-day strategic working visit to Cross River State, the National Coordinator of POCACOV (Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices), SP Orvenonne Ikwen, Ph.D., embarked on a series of high-level engagements aimed at strengthening partnerships, deepening community participation, and advancing the non-kinetic approach to crime prevention across the state, in line with the vision of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, psc(+), NPM, whose policing philosophy is rooted in community partnership, public trust, proactive engagement, and preventive policing aimed at building safer communities across Nigeria.
The visit commenced with a courtesy call on the Commissioner of Police, Cross River State Command, CP Rashid B. Afegbua, psc, mnips, who warmly received the National Coordinator and commended the POCACOV initiative for its significant impact in tackling cultism, bullying, drug abuse, gangsterism, school violence, and other social vices affecting young people and vulnerable groups. He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to supporting proactive policing strategies that promote trust, restore public confidence, and ensure lasting peace and security across Cross River State.
In continuation of the visit, the National Coordinator paid a courtesy visit to the Honourable Commissioner for Youth Development, Barr. Ijom Ukam, who described the POCACOV visit as timely and highly strategic, especially during what he referred to as a volatile and transitional period in society. He emphasized that the engagement reinforces the collective responsibility of government, institutions, and citizens in addressing the growing concerns of social vices among young people.
According to him, “The primary responsibility of every government is the security of its citizens,” noting that the adoption of the non-kinetic approach by the Nigeria Police Force through POCACOV demonstrates that the Police truly care about the future of Nigerian youths. He commended the Nigeria Police Force for embracing preventive policing and pledged the Ministry’s full support for POCACOV activities in Cross River State.
Barr. Ijom Ukam further declared that POCACOV has come to stay in Cross River State and assured the National Coordinator of sustained collaboration in mobilizing young people, creating awareness, and implementing youth-focused interventions that will help eradicate crime and social vices from the state.
As part of the media advocacy component of the visit, SP Orvenonne Ikwen also visited prominent radio stations including HIT FM and Sparkling FM, where she engaged media stakeholders on the need for continuous public sensitization, youth mentorship, and strategic communication in crime prevention. She stressed the critical role of the media in shaping positive narratives, promoting civic responsibility, and supporting national efforts to discourage cultism and other harmful behaviors among youths.
The National Coordinator also met with content creators and digital influencers in the state, including popular creative personality MC Koboko, to strengthen collaboration in using social media and entertainment platforms as tools for advocacy and youth engagement. She emphasized that content creators remain powerful voices in shaping public perception and influencing positive behavioral change among young people. She called for stronger partnerships with creative stakeholders to amplify the message of POCACOV and promote peace, responsibility, and social values across communities.
She noted that POCACOV remains a major strategic initiative of the Nigeria Police Force designed to complement law enforcement with prevention-focused solutions, reflecting the IGP’s vision of policing that is rooted in public trust, inclusiveness, and strong community partnership.
The working visit further strengthened collaboration between POCACOV, the Cross River State Police Command, the Ministry of Youth Development, educational institutions, religious leaders, traditional institutions, parents, and the media, all united in the shared goal of building safer communities and securing a better future for the younger generation.
The visit stands as another strong testament to the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to preventive policing, youth empowerment, and sustainable peacebuilding through stakeholder engagement and strategic partnerships.
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