Nigeria

FG asks UK to apologise over allegation that Gowon looted CBN

Saturday, November 28, 2020 at 1:30 PM by Kess Ewubare

- The Nigerian government has expressed its displeasure over comments by a UK member of parliament about Yakubu Gowon

- The ministry of foreign affairs questioned the veracity of the lawmaker’s allegation against the former head of state

- An official of the UK government has reacted to the incident

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The federal government has asked the British government to apologise and retract a statement by a member of its parliament alleging that Yakubu Gowon, Nigeria’s former head of state, looted the public treasury.

Ferdinand Nwonye, spokesperson of the ministry of foreign affairs, in a statement on Friday, November 27, described the allegation as outrageous and unsubstantiated, The Sun reported.

He said the comment by the Member of Parliament (MP), Tom Tugendhat was not in agreement with the views of the British government.

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FG asks UK to apologise over allegation that Gowon looted CBN — Gowon has faulted the claim that he looted CBN. Photo by Jamie Lorriman, Kola Sulaimon
Source: Getty Images

Nwonye stated that Charlotte Pierre, the head of Africa Department of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has expressed strong reservations on the comment of the parliamentarian.

According to The Cable, the Nigerian foreign ministry said Pierre distanced the British government from the comments of Tugendhat.

Meanwhile, General Yakubu Gowon has reacted to the allegation that he stole half of the country's central bank when he moved to the United Kingdom on exile after his overthrow in July 1975.

The former military head of state described the British lawmaker's allegation as "rubbish", according to a report by BBC News Pidgin.

The former head of state said he served Nigeria diligently and the record is there for everyone to see.

In a related report, an activist, Shehu Sani has faulted comments by a British lawmaker, who claimed that a former head of state, Yakubu Gowon looted half of Nigeria's Central Bank when he moved to the UK on exile after his overthrow in 1975.