The Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, says the £4.2 million Ibori loot has not been paid to Delta State.
The statement made known on Wednesday through the agency’s Director Information, Press and Public Relations, Henshaw Ogbubike, contradicts the earlier position of the AGF.
Appearing before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the status of all recovered loots, movable and immovable assets from 2002 to 2020 on Tuesday, Idris claimed that the funds had already been returned to Delta.
He said, “I know there was a time recovery was made on behalf of Plateau State. There was one for Bayelsa. There was one for different states, even Delta. Such recoveries go specifically to those states.”
When asked by the chairman about the recent Ibori loot received from the United Kingdom. The Accountant General replied, “It has been paid to the state. It was paid to Delta state.”
“Any recovery arising from looted funds from a particular state goes to the state. The state governors would not even allow this to fly.
“They will take Federal Government to court for holding their money. So we don’t joke and we don’t play with that. We pay them their money.”
However, the AGF’s office on Wednesday said no fund has been returned to Delta.
“The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) wishes to put the records straight regarding the widely circulated media report on the £4.2m Ibori Loot,” the statement said.
“The issue of the £4.2m Ibori Loot has not been properly resolved. The money is still being awaited, after which the issues around it will be resolved before further action is taken. For now, no money has been returned to Delta State.
“This explanation is without prejudice to the proceedings at the public hearing that took place yesterday during which the AGF was only making general comments about recoveries relating to State Governments.
“This is the true position as regards the £4.2m Ibori Loot”.
