We’re identifying banks, countries where stolen funds were lodged — Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari said on Monday that his administration has taken further steps to recover looted Nigerian funds by identifying the banks and countries where the monies were lodged.

Speaking at an audience with visiting United States Congressmen at the presidential villa, Abuja, Mr. Buhari acknowledged the support and cooperation given his administration by the international community in gathering all required intelligence for tracing and recovering stolen national resources.

“We are getting cooperation from the international community, including information on ships that take crude oil from Nigeria and change direction, or pour their contents into other ships mid-stream,” he said.

“Some monies were paid to individual accounts. We are identifying the financial institutions and countries that are involved.

“I have been assured that when we get all our documents together, the United States and other countries will treat our case with sympathy,’’ the president told the Congressmen led by Darrel Issa.

President Buhari also told the lawmakers that his administration will encourage more regular meetings of the Nigeria-United States Bi-National Commission.

He said the commission could serve as a more useful platform for the promotion of bilateral trade and economic relations as well as joint cooperation in the war against terrorism.

Mr. Darrel assured President Buhari that the United States will support Nigeria against Boko Haram by providing training, intelligence and military platforms.

“We look forward to helping you in many ways to end the Boko Haram insurgency and the theft of crude oil in the Gulf of Guinea,’’ he said.

---