President Muhammadu Buhari says during his rule as a military head of state, he was ousted from office and detained for three years simply because he was fighting corruption.
Buhari said this at the inauguration of the new corporate headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Abuja on Tuesday.
The President, who ruled from December 1983 to August 1985 before he was ousted in a coup by Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), said all the corrupt persons that were arrested during his administration were released while the loot recovered from them were returned.
He said, “This government promised to fight corruption but corruption will continue to fight back. (During) my first attempt to fight corruption, corruption fought back successfully. I was removed as the head of state, detained for three years and people who we recovered stolen money from were given back their money and I remained in detention up until my mother had to die to save me from detention.”
Buhari, however, said he remained steadfast and committed to the fight against graft despite many challenges.
He said since its inception in 2015, his administration had succeeded in recovering trillions of naira stolen by those he described as people without conscience.
The President also denied allegations that his government embarked on witch-hunts in the fight against graft.
Buhari said under his watch, all Nigerians were now aware that corrupt officials would be held to account, no matter how long it took.
