Nigerian Senate President Has Millions in Cash Disappear From His Bedroom . . . Again

The corruption of Nigeria has long been breathtaking. Indeed, what would normally be alarming (like a politician with millions in cash in his room) is treated as perfectly understandable in Nigeria. Take the recent theft reported by Senate President Bukola Saraki, who said that ₦300 million(about $1.6 million) disappeared from his room. Police are questioning aides as well as some members of the security detail but not pressing on the fact that Saraki had huge amounts of cash sent to his hotel room.

Saraki ordered that the money be brought to his bedroom in Ilorin, capital of Kwara State in different foreign exchange denominations. He ordered Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed to provide the cash so that he could hand out the money to his supporters in Ilorin at the start of the Ramadan season. All of that is simply taken as manifestly reasonable in Nigeria.

Notably, just last year, agents of the Department of State Security (DSS) alleged that Saraki reportedly stole a huge sum of money that he ordered to be brought to him by the cousin of former military Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar. However, mysteriously, those agents were never charged. The money simply disappeared. Many suggested that it was a set up all along for Saraki to get the money.

Saraki has repeatedly been accused of corruption and criminal acts but he is barely a standout in Nigeria where millions disappear without a trace. The United States sends roughly $600 million in aid to Nigeria every year.