Politics
THE Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has vehemently rejected the call by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to grant amnesty to former public officials accused of looting Nigeria’s resources in exchange for the return of allegedly stolen funds.
HURIWA considers the proposal a dangerous invitation to institutionalise impunity in a country already bleeding from decades of corruption, financial mismanagement and the diversion of public resources.
The association believes that Nigeria cannot negotiate with corruption as though it were a harmless financial disagreement.
If individuals entrusted with public resources deliberately steal billions of naira, the appropriate response of a serious state should not be a pardon simply because the perpetrators later agree to return part or all of the money.
HURIWA therefore calls on President Tinubu to reject the proposed two-year amnesty window and instead establish a zero-tolerance national anti-corruption regime modelled on the strongest aspects of China’s uncompromising approach to corruption—while remaining firmly subject to Nigeria’s Constitution, fair-trial guarantees and rule of law.
CHINA’S MESSAGE TO LOOTERS
The issue has again come into sharp focus following reports that a Chinese court sentenced former Nanjing city official Yang Youlin to death after convicting him of accepting more than 2.2 billion yuan in bribes over three decades.
Yang, who held several positions in Nanjing between 1993 and 2023, was also convicted of embezzlement, abuse of power and money laundering.
The case demonstrates the severity with which China has treated some of its most serious corruption offences, particularly where enormous sums of public resources are involved.
HURIWA is not calling for Nigeria to copy every aspect of another country’s criminal justice system. Rather, the Association believes Nigeria should learn from the fundamental principle behind such a system:
Corruption must carry consequences sufficiently severe to deter public officials from stealing the people’s resources.
Nigeria’s present anti-corruption architecture has failed to inspire sufficient fear among those who see public office as an opportunity for personal enrichment.
For decades, Nigerians have watched allegations of massive public-sector corruption become endless investigations, political controversies and protracted court cases, while suspects sometimes remain free for years.
That cycle must end.
NO AMNESTY FOR TREASURY LOOTERS
HURIWA rejects the argument that granting amnesty to alleged looters is justified because recovered money would stimulate the economy.
Money stolen from the Nigerian people does not become legitimate simply because its possessor eventually decides to return it.
If a public official is accused of stealing public funds, the state must investigate the allegation, establish the facts through due process and, where guilt is proven, impose the full punishment prescribed by law.
The return of stolen assets should be treated as restitution and asset recovery—not an automatic passport to immunity.
HURIWA consequently demands:
The immediate rejection of any blanket amnesty for treasury looters.
Specialised and speedy courts for corruption cases to prevent politically connected suspects from exploiting endless delays in the judicial process.
Comprehensive forfeiture of illegally acquired assets following conviction and other lawful recovery proceedings.
Long-term imprisonment and the maximum penalties permitted by Nigerian law for persons convicted of grave corruption offences.
Stronger financial-intelligence mechanisms capable of tracing stolen money hidden in properties, bank accounts, shell companies and foreign jurisdictions.
Mandatory disclosure of beneficial ownership of companies and properties used to conceal proceeds of corruption.
Independent and professionally insulated anti-corruption agencies capable of investigating politically exposed persons without fear or favour.
Fast-tracked prosecution of high-value corruption cases, so that cases involving billions of naira do not remain unresolved for decades.
Public disclosure of recovered assets and funds, including the identities of convicted persons and the amounts recovered, subject to applicable laws and court orders.
LOOTING IS AN ATTACK ON THE NATION
HURIWA strongly disagrees with the idea that corruption should be treated merely as an economic offence.
When billions allocated for healthcare, education, roads, security, water and other essential services are stolen, the consequences are felt directly by ordinary Nigerians.
Corruption destroys institutions, deepens poverty, weakens national security and erodes public confidence in government.
In that sense, a person who deliberately loots the public treasury causes enormous social damage even without firing a weapon.
This is why the Nigerian state must demonstrate that the treasury is not a free-for-all for political office holders and their associates.
KALU’S PROPOSAL SENDS THE WRONG SIGNAL
Senator Kalu’s proposal may be well-intentioned if its objective is to recover money allegedly hidden outside the formal financial system.
But HURIWA warns that a blanket pardon could produce the opposite effect.
It could encourage corrupt officials to reason that they have little to lose: steal public money today, hide it for years and return it tomorrow when government offers an amnesty.
That is not deterrence.
That is an incentive.
Nigeria needs a system where the calculation is reversed:
Steal public money and you risk losing your freedom, your illegally acquired assets and your standing in society after due process establishes your guilt.
TINUBU MUST CHOOSE ACCOUNTABILITY OVER IMPUNITY
HURIWA therefore urges President Tinubu not to establish an amnesty window for treasury looters.
Instead, the President should launch a comprehensive national anti-corruption offensive that combines aggressive asset recovery, financial intelligence, speedy prosecution, institutional reform and severe lawful punishment.
The Chinese experience, including the recent Yang Youlin case, demonstrates the extraordinary lengths to which a state can go when it decides that corruption constitutes a grave threat to national development.
Nigeria must equally develop the political will to make corruption a high-risk enterprise.
We cannot continue to build a nation where the poor are punished for minor offences while individuals accused of stealing billions of public funds deploy wealth, influence and legal manoeuvres to evade accountability.
HURIWA’s message is simple: return stolen money, yes—but face justice where criminal liability is established.
There should be no blanket pardon, no negotiated impunity and no privileged escape route for treasury looters.
Nigeria must recover its stolen wealth and, through due process, ensure that those responsible face consequences severe enough to restore public confidence and deter future generations from turning public office into a personal ATM.
A.I
Aug. 10, 2026
Tags: HURIWA President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Senator Orji Uzor Kalu