A member of the United Kingdom Parliament, Tom Tugendhat says Nigerian former Head of State, fleeced the country for half of what its central bank was worth before relocating to London.
Gowon was Nigeria’s Head of State from 1966 to 1975.
Speaking during the debate on a petition on End SARS, Tom Tugendhat, chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee representing Tonbridge and Malling, said it was time to start sanctioning those responsible for Nigeria’s endemic theft and poverty.
According to him: “It is a tragedy that we are all witnessing. The pressure this time is not foreign colonialism, the pressure instead is corruption, violence, and attempts to control.
“We need to call out corruption. We need to use the powers we have in this country to stop those who are profiting.
“Some people would remember when General Gowon left Nigeria with half of the central bank, or so it was said and moved to London,” Mr. Tugendhat said on the floor of the parliament Monday.
Mr. Tugendhat went on to note that UK “banks, sadly, have been used” to proceeds of ill-gotten loot of Nigerian politicians, saying it was time to begin targeted sanctions.
“The UK is in an almost unique position to actually do something against those who have robbed Nigeria,” Mr. Tugendhat said.
It is worthwhile to note that UK parliamentarians debated a petition on Monday over the brutal crackdown of the Nigerian Army on #EndSARS protesters.
The lawmakers agreed that members of President Muhammadu Buhari and the military should be targeted for economic deprivation and also prevented from entering the UK.
