Abacha Loot: FG Denies Third Party Involvement

The federal government says it has not entered into agreement to concede some amount of money to any individual in relation to the over $300 million Sani Abacha’s loot, soon to be repatriated back to Nigeria from the Island of New Jessy.

Abacha was former Nigeria’s Head of State, who died in 1988.

Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami made the clarification on Tuesday while speaking to Voice of Nigeria and Deutsche Welle.

A statement issued by the Special Adviser to Malami on Media and Public Relations, Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, said the minister stated that the federal government was exclusively bound by the tripartite agreement entered into and signed by the Nigerian government, United State of America and Island of Jersey for the repatriation of the money.

The statement said Malami noted that no individual was named to be a beneficiary of any amount in the tripartite agreement.

The justice minister said the international community had developed confidence in the present administration, in view of the fact that “looted funds recovered by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s led government, were judiciously utilized for high-impact public oriented projects.”

He said in the agreement document, it was clearly spelt out that the money would be utilized in the Abuja-Kano and Lagos – Ibadan Expressways, as well as the 2nd Niger Bridge only, adding that the insinuation of third-party beneficiary outside the scope of the agreement was, therefore, baseless and unfounded.

The statement read in part “The minister said Nigeria has no reputational issue over enforcement of agreements and treaties and it is, therefore, an impossibility and unimaginable for Nigeria to hand over some amount of money to a third party not expressly mentioned in the agreement after the three countries concerned signed an agreement on what to do with the repatriated funds.

“He noted that people are mischievously peddling contaminated information out of ignorance, political blackmail, selfish interest, or mischievous intentions.

“The Attorney-General, however, clarified that the funds in contention are not in any way connected with assets exempted by former President Obasanjo pursuant to August 18, 2003 agreement by which President Obasanjo “resolved and released all claims and liabilities of any kind which exist or might exist against Atiku Bagudu in favour of or at the suit of any organ of government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

“Atiku Bagudu’s  family contention which constitute a judicial action s borne out of Obasanjo’s concession and the claims arising therefrom is separate and distinct,” the Minister has said,” it concluded.