'US handed over lists of oil thieves to Buhari'

Abuja - A member of the President Muhammadu Buhari's entourage during last week’s visit to the US has disclosed that the US gave the president names of Nigerian oil thieves, Punch reports.

The source disclosed that the President was given two separate lists – one listing the names of top government officials who have been stealing the country’s oil, using their high offices to perpetrate the stealing; and the other containing the names of illegal oil bunkerers.

He said the President was already thinking of constituting a panel to investigate those on the list with a view to arriving at how to deal with them based on the findings of the committee.

The President had said last week that some ministers in the cabinet of Jonathan were stealing as much as 250 000 barrels of Nigeria’s crude daily. 

Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole also had alarmed that senior officials of the US State Department revealed to them during their visit to the US that a former minister stole as much as $6billion.