IN a recent development, a Nigerian court has directed President Bola Tinubu’s government to disclose the amount of stolen funds recovered from the late military ruler Sani Abacha and provide details on how the money has been utilised. Court documents revealed this directive on Sunday.
Sani Abacha governed Africa’s most populous nation and top oil exporter from 1993 until his death in 1998. During his rule, it was estimated by Transparency International that he embezzled up to $5bn of public funds, although he was never formally charged.
A Nigerian rights group filed a case in the High Court of Abuja, the federal capital, urging the government to be held accountable for the recovery of Abacha’s looted assets since Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999.
Over the years, several countries,
including the United States, Switzerland, and the British dependency of Jersey, have repatriated hundreds of millions of dollars linked to Abacha.
The court’s ruling mandates the government to disclose ‘the exact amount of money stolen by General Sani Abacha from Nigeria, the total amount of Abacha loot recovered, and all agreements signed in relation to these funds since the return of democracy in 1999.’
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), the organisation behind the legal challenge, announced that they have written to President Bola Tinubu, calling on him to comply with the court’s ruling.
As of now, there has been no response from Tinubu’s spokesperson, Dele Alake, regarding the matter.
Previously, Nigeria had declared its intention to utilise a portion of the Abacha funds for infrastructure projects, such as the construction of roads and bridges.
This court directive represents a significant step towards ensuring transparency and accountability in the recovery and utilisation of stolen funds, shedding light on the long-standing issue of corrup
tion and its impact on Nigeria’s development.
