Michel Arrion, the Head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria has stated that funds stolen from Nigeria are stashed all over the world, and not just in Europe.
At a press briefing held on Wednesday, January 27 in Abuja, Arrion expressed the EU’s support for the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari to recover the nation’s looted funds.
He assured that the EU will further give advocacy support to Nigeria while stating that the stolen funds in some European countries is a bilaterial issue between Nigeria and the countries involved.
“Nigeria’s stolen funds are not only in Europe; they are everywhere. So we are happy to see that President Muhammadu Buhari went to UAE to discuss the repatriation of stolen wealth.
“We welcome any form of cooperation in the judicial , the police cooperation that Nigeria wants to have with EU member-states,” he said.
Arrion noted that the level of corruption in the country had affected the economy and infrastructure negatively while opining that all countries are fighting corruption but some are more committed than others in the fight.
He however, warned against presidential interference with the judicial arm of the government in the fight against corruption.
“There have been cases of abandoned corruption trials in the past, so there is nothing wrong with the executive making statement on expeditious trial of corruption cases.
“But prosecution must be within the ambit of the Rule of Law,” he said.
He also revealed that the EU has introduced a range of programmes geared towards strengthening the anti-corruption agencies and the criminal justice system as its contribution to the anti-corruption war.
Arrion stated that the EU is also fighting against corruption in Nigeria through a 35 million Euros project being carried out nationwide by the UN Office on Drug and Crime.
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