US SENDS $20.6 MILLION MORE TO NIGERIA FROM ABACHA LOOT

Late General Sani Abacha 

According to a deal reached on August 23 to return assets taken by the late dictator General Sani Abacha and his accomplices, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) stated it has transferred $20.6 million to the Nigerian government.

The repatriation increases the total money forfeited and returned by the US in this instance to approximately $332.4 million, according to a statement posted on the DoJ website last Thursday.

The United States' judgment against the additional $20.6 million was executed by the United Kingdom last year.

As a consequence of a civil forfeiture complaint for more than $625 million that could be linked to money laundering involving the revenues of Abacha's corruption, a judgment for forfeiture of about $500 million was filed in the District of Columbia in 2014.

The forfeited property is corrupt money that was laundered during and after the military government of General Abacha, who took power on November 17, 1993, and remained in power until his death on June 8, 1998.

According to the complaint submitted in the case, Abacha, his son Mohammed, their associate Abubakar Bagudu, who is currently the governor of Kebbi State, and others stole, misappropriated, and demanded billions of dollars from the government coffers and other sources before laundering their illicit gains through US financial institutions and transactions.

According to the statement, "The United Kingdom's cooperation in the investigation, restraint, and enforcement of the US judgment, along with the valuable contributions of Nigeria and other law enforcement partners around the world, including the United Kingdom's National Crime Agency, as well as those of the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs, have been instrumental to the recovery of these funds.