Repatriate stolen funds, PMB begs world leaders

President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to leaders of nations where stolen funds and proceeds of corruption are kept to return them to their countries of origin.

Addressing the 70th United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, Buhari identified the fight against corruption as one of the priorities of his administration.

He also urged his counterparts across the world to tackle the menace, describing it as one of the major challenges of the 21st century.

“I call upon the global community to urgently redouble efforts towards strengthening the mechanisms for dismantling safe havens for proceeds of corruption and ensuring the return of stolen funds and assets to their countries of origin,” he said.

“By any consideration, corruption and cross border financial crimes are impediments to development, economic growth and the realisation of the well-being of citizens across the globe.

“Nigeria is ready and willing to partner with international agencies and individual countries on a bilateral basis to confront crimes and corruption. Let me reaffirm the Nigerian government’s unwavering commitment to fight corruption and illicit financial flows.”

Buhari added that under his watch, the fight against insecurity had gained momentum.

He spoke on the collaboration between Nigeria and its neighbours in the Lake Chad Basin Commission in order to check the excesses of extremist groups, such as Boko Haram.

He also said his government was doing everything within its power to ensure that the abducted Chibok schoolgirls are reunited with their families.

“The new Nigerian government, which I have the honour to head, moved with dispatch to put in a bold and robust strategy to defeat Boko Haram,” he said.

“Nigeria and her neighbours, Cameroon, Chad and Niger plus Benin, are working together to face this common threat within the regional framework of the Lake Chad Basin Commission.

“We have established a multinational joint task force to confront, degrade and defeat Boko Haram. We have driven them away from many of their strongholds, killed or captured many of their operatives or commanders and freed several hundreds of hostages.

“We are working round the clock to ensure their safety and eventual reunion with their families. The girls are constantly on our minds and in our plans.

He said African leaders were worried by the Mediterranean crisis, adding that “ we will support any measure to apprehend these traffickers and bring them to justice”.