Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, told New York Times that associates of an ex-minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan had approached him to return the sum of $250 million to the Federal Government.
The money is about N50bn using an average exchange rate of N200 to a dollar.
The governor, who did not mention the names of the associates or the name of the ex-minister, stated he was not in any position to handle such matters but would pass across the message to the appropriate authorities.
In the report published on Friday, the governor said, "When you say you want to refund, it means you are admitting that you took what was not yours. I said, ‘I am a governor, I am not involved in this. I will pass on your message'."
The former minister of the Federal Capital Territory had before the inauguration of the new administration stated President Muhammadu Buhari's government would ask corrupt politicians to return every kobo stolen by them.
El-Rufai had told members of the National Union of Textile Garments and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, who visited him in Kaduna that such politicians must be ready to return all stolen funds after May 29.
He, however, stated those who were not corrupt had no cause to fear.
El-Rufai said: "We will politely ask those who stole government money to return the funds. The All Progressives Congress government is made up of people who are ready to work for the masses and the betterment of the country."
Based on what was gathered, apart from sending her aides to el-Rufai, a particular female ex-minister had also approached some members of the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption and some governors close to President Muhammadu Buhari, offering to return part of the loot.
Another reliable source privy to the activities of the committee, stated that all the persons the ex-minister met or sent emissaries to refused to accept the money from her.
The source said: “She approached the committee members but they refused to take the money from her. This was shortly before she travelled to the United Kingdom. Even while in Britain, she has not relented in trying to return some of the money she was accused of stealing.”
It was also learnt on Saturday that the ex-minister had written petitions to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against some of her former allies.
As stated by a reliable source at the commission, the ex-minister learnt that some of her former associates that she favoured with mouth-watering deals in her ministry were behind her travails.
In retaliation, she reportedly sponsored petitions against her former allies providing strong evidence against them to the anti-graft agency.
Following these petitions, one of her former associates, who is a major player in the oil industry was invited for questioning two weeks ago while another ally of hers is facing extradition from Switzerland.