The Federal Government recently signed an agreement with the United States for the repatriation of $23 million that the former Head of State, Sani Abacha, stole. The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has filed a lawsuit against the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) for “the failure to publish copy and details of the agreement the Federal Government recently signed with the United States for the repatriation of $23 million.”
Abubakar Malami, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, was added to the lawsuit as a respondent.
The $311 million in Abacha money was returned by America in 2020, which led to the signing of the deal in August 2022.
SERAP requested that the Federal High Court of Abuja order the President and Malami to make the specifics of the deal with the US public in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1700/2022.
The rights organization is interested in the safeguards put in place to make sure that the money sent home is not mishandled, wasted, or stolen again.
The $23 million in Abacha wealth that has been returned, according to SERAP, “is susceptible to corruption and poor administration.” In any scenario, a significant portion of the estimated $5 billion in Abacha money that has been recovered since 1999 may have been mishandled, misdirected, or re-stolen.
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