Brazen Looting: Inside Nigeria’s Pact Between Kleptocrats and Bandits

Nigeria was once poised to lead West Africa. In less than a generation, rampant corruption has reduced it to “fantastically corrupt.” Visas are now denied and international trust has vanished. Political elites exploit ethnic loyalty to shield convicted looters. These figures return home as heroes, feted with lavish parties and even coronations. They then shop for presidential tickets across parties without consequence. Retired generals and kingmakers broker access to power, turning government posts into honey pots for plunder. Foreign lawyers and financial experts are hired to launder stolen funds into offshore accounts. Meanwhile, bandits and terrorists demand ransom as their share of the national cake. Voters receive token food handouts before elections. This “stomach infrastructure” reduces citizens to begging for survival in exchange for votes.

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