The Federal Government said 55 people have stolen from the nation to the tune of 1.34 trillion Naira between 2006 and 2013, more than a quarter of 2015 national budget.
Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, gave the figure while addressing a world press conference in Abuja marking the beginning of the war against corruption in Nigeria.
Mohammed said persons linked to the loot were past government officials, bankers and businessmen.
The minister revealed that, out of the stolen funds, the minister said 15 former governors stole N146.84 billion; four former ministers took N7 billion; 12 former public servants both at federal and state levels stole over N14 billion; eight other Nigerians in the banking sector made away with N524 billion , while 11 businessmen cornered N653 billion.
Mohammed said: “This is the money that a few people, just 55 in number, allegedly stole within a period of just eight years. And instead of a national outrage, all we hear are these nonsensical statements that the government is fighting only the opposition, or that the government is engaging in vendetta.”
Some Nigerians are currently accusing the All Progressives Congress (APC) controlled government of engaging in a vendetta against the opposition People’s Democratic Party members, but the Minister said Nigerians should not be misinformed about the true state of affairs and the true cost of the stolen funds.
