Ali Ndume, chief whip of the senate, says corruption among politicians in Nigeria is “driven by the people”.
Speaking in an interview with Channels Television, Ndume said politicians share stolen monies with the people.
The Borno senator said the corruption associated with Nigerian politicians is a “small one” when compared with what is stolen in other sectors.
He also said the money stolen by politicians is “shared with the people” and that “if you don’t share, you are not coming back after four years”.
Ndume said he supports the death penalty for drug traffickers, adding that drug dealers destroy lives.
Asked why the death penalty has not been proposed for the corruption perpetrated by political elites, the senator said he will support death penalty for corruption if there is such a proposal.
He said punishment for corruption should be based on the amount stolen, adding that those who steal N1 trillion of public funds should be killed. “If death penalty is supposed to be included as punishment for corruption, I will support it,” he said.
“We need to start from the financial criminals that are causing dollar to go up, those who are doing money laundering, the banks that are charging people anyhow and not accounting for that, before you come to us politicians.
“If you compare us, the politicians to all the (forms of) corruption, our own is a very small one. Our corruption is people-driven. You steal all the money, you go and share it with the people, if you don’t, you are not coming back after four years.”
Asked if that is the reason why politicians steal, he responded: “No. Some will go and keep it. There is no reason for stealing.”
A bill seeking to impose death penalty on those convicted of drug trafficking has passed third reading at the senate.
