Kalu Urges Tinubu To Grant Amnesty To Those Who Return Stolen Funds

Former Abia State Governor and Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has urged President Bola Tinubu to grant amnesty to former public officials accused of looting public funds if they voluntarily return the money.

Kalu made the call during an appearance on News Central TV’s 60 Minutes With Mr Kay, where he proposed a two-year window for individuals holding allegedly stolen public funds to return the money without facing prosecution.

The senator said large sums of money were allegedly being kept in private residences rather than deposited in banks, arguing that such funds were not contributing to economic growth.

He said, “President Tinubu should give people pardon. Between the houses in Abuja, if you search all the houses, you might have over N50 billion or N60 billion lying down there.”

Kalu urged the Federal Government to establish a scheme that would allow individuals who allegedly took public funds, regardless of when or where the money was obtained, to return the funds to the country in exchange for a pardon.

He said the repatriation of such funds would increase liquidity in the economy and make the money available for productive activities.

Kalu added that the proposed two-year window should allow those involved to return the funds without fear of prosecution, stressing that the recovered money could then be deployed for the benefit of Nigerians.