Former military Head of State, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, has said he once sacked a governor over an alleged corruption case involving about N300,000.
Babangida, who ruled Nigeria from 1985 to 1993, made the remark in an older interview that has resurfaced in August 2026 amid renewed discussions about corruption and accountability in the country.
“We are not corrupt. I will proudly say it because what I read in the papers, if it is true, then I think I used to say we are saints,” Babangida said.
He added: “I keep on giving an example. I sacked a governor for N300,000. Today, there are N300 billion, still not issued, not solved.”
The remarks have also appeared in reports of interviews Babangida gave to Nigerian television stations in previous years. In one version, he referred to an amount of less than N313,000, while in another, he contrasted the action taken over the relatively small sum with cases involving billions of naira.
Babangida was responding to criticism of his administration and allegations that corruption became entrenched during the military era. He argued that officials under his government faced stronger consequences for financial misconduct than those accused of corruption under subsequent civilian administrations.
However, the specific military governor he referred to as having been removed over the N300,000 allegation was not identified in the publicly available reports of the interviews.
Babangida’s administration has itself faced longstanding allegations concerning the management of public funds. One of the major controversies relates to about $12.4 billion in oil revenues associated with the Gulf War period, which was examined by the Pius Okigbo panel.
Babangida has consistently denied diverting the funds for personal enrichment, maintaining that the money was used for national development projects.
The resurfaced remarks therefore represent Babangida’s defence of his administration’s record on corruption and should not be treated as a new statement or recent disclosure.
