.
Contrary to rife media reports, the United States
has yet to give the list of oil thieves to President
Muhammadu Buhari, findings by Punch
Newspaper correspondents have revealed.
President Muhammadu Buhari had visited
Washington in July, 2015, after which there was
reports of such list given to the Nigerian
President.

According to Punch News, Sources at the US
embassy said they were not aware of any
exchange of documents between American
officials and the President during the visit.
If there was such a list, a source said, it was not
given to Buhari during the visit.

The source said, “Though President Buhari
engaged in discussions on various issues with
the US President Barack Obama, there was no
exchange of documents between them.”
When contacted, the US embassy in Abuja
declined comment on the issue. The Press
Attaché, Sean McIntosh, said he had no
comment on the issue. There had been media
report that the US government had given Buhari
two separate lists containing the names of
corrupt Nigerians and crude oil thieves, adding
that the President was taken aback when he saw
the list.

The list was said to contain 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.
The report further stated that the list given to
the President by the US might compel him to
probe the administration of former President
Goodluck Jonathan.

But the Special Adviser to the President on
Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, denied
knowledge of any list of corrupt Nigerians
reportedly handed over to Buhari during his visit
to the US.
He said he would not be able to make further
comment on the matter since he was not aware
of the list.
“I have no knowledge of the list you are talking
about so I can neither confirm its authenticity
nor those listed therein,” he said.

(The Punch)