The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu has said that Nigeria is seeking the extradition of 18 high-profile looters who absconded to foreign countries to escape prosecution.

Magu disclosed this on Tuesday in Ilorin, Kwara state during a brief chat with newsmen.

The EFCC chairman, while responding to a question on the request of the President, Major General Mohamadu Buhari (retd.) to the British government for the extradition of a former Petroleum Minister, Allison Madueke, who was accused of looting, assured Nigerians that his agency will pursue the anti- graft war with a renewed vigour this year.

He said:

“This is just the beginning, we are requesting for more extradition from countries all over the world to bring back more looters into the country to face prosecution. The fight against corruption has just started, it is renewed this year.

“We will repatriate all looters hiding anywhere in the world. I think there are about 18 of them; I mean high profiled looters,” he said.

Answering another question on why people whose investigation has been completed were not charged d to Court, Magu said that there was no ongoing corruption cases across the country that would be abandoned midway, assuring that suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations on such cases were completed.

Magu said that the fight against corruption would take a new dimension this year with the involvement of more people.

He added that on the 14th of February, there will be a massive protest against corruption, which will involve all members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) serving across the federation.

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The EFCC chairman who said that he came to Ilorin to assess the facilities also clarified that the Ilorin zonal office of the EFCC was not established to witch hunt the immediate past Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki.

“We did not also establish the Ilorin zonal office to witch hunt anyone. Kwara is an integral part of Nigeria and deserves an EFCC office,” Magu stated.

He, however, sought the cooperation of the Nigerian media to enable the agency to succeed in its efforts at making Nigeria corruption-free.

“We need the cooperation of the media in making Nigeria corruption free. EFCC cannot do it alone,” Magu declared.