• Super Admin
• 07 Mar, 2026

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has said there is no evidence that the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, misappropriated public funds. Bwala made the remark during an appearance on the Head to Head programme on Al Jazeera, hosted by Mehdi Hasan, where he responded to questions about the Tinubu administration's stance on corruption. During the interview, Hasan raised concerns about Bagudu's appointment, referencing allegations by the United States Department of Justice that linked the minister to financial crimes during the regime of the late Sani Abacha. The US Department of Justice had stated in 2020 that Bagudu was part of a network controlled by Abacha that "embezzled, misappropriated and extorted billions from the government of Nigeria" in the 1990s. Following Abacha's death, the Nigerian government hired Swiss lawyer Enrico Monfrini in 1999 to initiate legal proceedings aimed at recovering assets linked to the late military ruler, his family and associates across multiple jurisdictions. At the time, assets belonging to Bagudu, who was said to be associated with the Abacha family, were frozen alongside those traced to the former leader. Responding to the concerns, Bwala maintained that Bagudu's current service in the Tinubu administration is not tainted by any proven wrongdoing under Nigerian law. "There is no evidence that Bagudu has misappropriated funds. The decision of the court in the United States does not bind the Supreme Court of Nigeria," he said. He added that actions taken by US authorities do not constitute proof of misconduct within Nigeria's legal system. Source: https://www.naijanews.com/2026/03/07/there-is-no-evidence-that-bagudu-has-misappropriated-funds-tinubus-adviser/