In this article I will be sharing with you the top 20 most corrupt politicians in Nigeria. As we all know Nigeria was named the country with the highest rate of poverty in the world by CNN. The reason why Nigeria is so poor is not because of its lack of riches, it is rather the level of wealth that has been stolen by its supposed leaders over the past years.
The thing is that most Nigerian leader’s just scheme the best way to siphon looted properties to European banks and other overseas bank. In this investigative report, we have compiled a list of the top 20 most corrupt politicians that have stolen the most valuable assets from Nigeria’s treasury.
20. Kayode Fayemi
Kayode Fayemi is currently the governor of Ekiti State. This governor stole a whooping some of $40 million from the country treasury and stashed some part of the loot in Ghana. He was also reported to have bought a bed for over N50 million.
19. Rauf Aregbesola
Rauf Aregbesola is currently a Minister in Nigeria. He is the current Federal Ministry of Interior. Before that he was the fourth civilian governor of Osun State. He is a native of Ilesa in Osun State. He has milked Osun State to the tune of over $60 million.
18. Kashium Shettima
Kashium Shettima is currently Senator in Nigeria and the former governor of Borno state. He is a member of All Progressive Congress (APC). This former governor and current Senator have stolen about $80 million in Nigeria and still counting.
17. Rabui Kwankwaso
Rabui Kwankwaso is a Nigerian politician who was the Governor of Kano State from 1999 to 2003 and 2011 to 2015. After he lost his re-election in 2003, he was appointed the first Minister of Defence of the Fourth Republic with no prior military background from 2003 to 2007. He stole over $100 million as a governor of Kano State. EFCC has arrested many of his aides.
16. Sule Lamido
Sule Lamido is a Nigerian politician who served as Foreign Affairs Minister of Nigeria from 1999 to 2003. He was elected governor of Jigawa State in April 2007. He is a member of the former ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He stole over $110 million between 2007-2015 and out of that amount, $50 million was found in his sons’ bank accounts. He was arrested and detained for days together with his sons by EFCC.
15. DSP Solomon Peter
DSP Solomon Peter (DSP Alamieyeseigha) is a Nigerian politician who was Governor of Bayelsa State in Nigeria from 29th May 1999 to 9th December 2005. He stole over $120 million from Nigeria treasury and was arrested for money laundering by the EFCC. He pleaded guilty and has long served his term.
14. Amina Mohammed
This woman was the founder of Afri-Project Consortium that was in charge of all PTF Projects during Abacha’s regime. About $125 million was stolen from PTF accounts from 1994-1998. She has stolen over $125 million from Nigeria treasury and Buhari has just nominated the same woman as a minister to continue to stealing.
13. James Ibori
James Ibori is a Nigerian politician who was Governor of Delta State in Nigeria from 29th May 1999 to 29th May 2007. He is a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He is an influential leader in the Niger Delta region and a national figure in Nigeria. He stole over $150 million from 1999-2007 as governor of Delta State. He is currently serving his prison term for money laundering in the United Kingdom.
12. Atiku Abubakar
Atiku Abubakar is a Nigerian politician and businessman who served as the Vice President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007 during the presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo. Since the return to democracy, Abubakar has contested in all the elections. Atiku Abubakar is an astute businessman, but through shady deals, he stole over $500 million from 1999-2007.
11. Chubike Rotimi Amaechi
Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is a Nigerian politician who is currently serving as the Minister of Transportation in the cabinet of President Buhari. He previously served as Governor of Rivers State from 2007 to 2015 and Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2007. From 2007 to 2015, he stole over $700 million and $150 million from Nigerian treasury and used that money to sponsor Buhari and APC.
10. Babatunde Fashola
Babatunde Fashola is a Nigerian lawyer and politician who is currently serving as the Federal Minister of Works and Housing. He served two terms as Governor of Lagos State from 29th May 2007 to 29th May 2015. He was the poster boy of Ahmed Tinubu. Both of them looted Lagos dried and left it in debt. Babatunde Fashola drilled borehole for over N100 million per each and built a kilometre road for N1 billion. He stole over $900 million from 2007-2015.
9. Nasir El Rufai
Nasir El Rufai is a Nigerian politician who served as the Governor of Kaduna State. Before he was made the FCT Minister, Nasir El Rufai was broke, homeless and was looking for loan to import taxis from the UK. After he was made a minister, he seized landed properties that belonged to Nigerians and resold them with huge profit. It is estimated that he stole over $1 billion from 2003-2007.
8. Bukola Saraki
Bukola Saraki is a Nigerian politician who served as the 13th Senate President of Nigeria from 2015 to 2019 and Chairman of the 8th Nigeria National Assembly. He also served as the governor of Kwara State from 2003-2011. He has stolen over $1.1 billion from Nigerian treasury to fund their family bank Societe Generale.
7. Sanusi Lamido
Sanusi Lamido is a member of the Dabo royal family of Kano. He was the 14th Emir of Kano, ascending the throne on 8th June 2014, following the death of his grand uncle Ado Bayero. He was dethroned on 9th March 2020 by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje. He was the former Governor of Central Bank in Nigeria. He stole over $1.2 billion as CBN Governor from 2008-2014.
6. TY Danjuma
General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma is a Nigerian army general and politician who has played a key role in the history of Nigeria. TY Danjuma amassed an enormous fortune through shipping and petroleum. He was Chief of Army Staff from July 1975 to October 1979. He fraudulently got enriched through oil blocks from the Niger Delta worth over $20 million in the 70s after the counter coup. Those oil blocks worth billions of dollars in today’s value.
5. Ahmed Tinubu
Ahmed Tinubu is a Nigerian politician and a national leader of the All Progressives Congress. He had previously served as the Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007. He stole and continues to steal from Lagos State treasury since 1999 till date. It is estimated that he has stolen over $6 billion so far. He is aiming to run for Nigerian presidency in 2023.
4. Sani Abacha
General Sani Abacha was a Nigerian military general and dictator who served as the military head of state in Nigeria from 1993 until his untimely death in 1998. He was also the Chief of Army Staff between 1985 to 1990. He was also the Chief of Defense Staff and Minister of Defense between 1990 to 1993. He stole over $7 billion from 1993-1998 from Nigerian treasury.
3. Abdulsalam Abubakar
General Abdulsalam Abubakar is a Nigerian statesman and military general who served as the President of Nigeria from 1998 to 1999. He was also Chief of Defense Staff between 1993 and 1998. He succeeded General Sani Abacha upon his death. He stole over $9 billion from 1998-1999 from Nigerian treasury.
2. Ibrahim Babangida
General Ibrahim Babangida popularly known as IBB is a Nigerian army general and statesman who served as military head of state in Nigeria from 1985 until his resignation in 1993. He also served as the Chief of Army Staff from January 1984 to August 1985. He stole over $15 billion from 1985-1993 and also stole $12.4 billion from oil wind fall in 1990.
1. Oluesgun Obasanjo
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was is a former Nigerian military head of state and political leader who served as military head of state in Nigeria from 1976 to 1979 and later as a democratic elected President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007. He was the first democratically elected president in Nigeria and also a member of the People’s Democratic Party. He stole $25 billion from 1999-2007 from Nigerian treasury. He also stole $16.4 billion from power sector alone.
An argument can be made about the veracity of this list, but there is a compelling commonality amongst those thusly listed, and it is that all of them refused any structural change or restructuring of Nigeria to be made, arguing instead that there is nothing wrong with Nigerian structure other than leadership. They are both correct because it is their wrong leadership that they use to steal, and it is impossible to change the leadership bcus they have turned d whole system to a system where few are rich and are getting richer while very many are poor and are getting poorer. Didn’t this few tell us that power is not given but taken? How then will this few rogues give power to the poor if they continue to make d poor poorer and increasing in numbers?