Re-looting the loot: Nigeria’s story of Ali Baba &  the 40 thieves

In addition, huge amounts of money returned by those who at various times entered into plea-bargain with the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) are never properly accounted for. Analysts say Nigeria’s case aptly fits into the story of “Ali Baba and the 40 thieves”.

For instance, the administrations of Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan took delivery of huge billions of dollars and other foreign currencies during their dispensation. Till date, the citizens of this country cannot point to concrete investments made with such funds.

The more such loots were returned, the more they re-disappeared, raising questions and fueling the insinuation that they were being re-looted by political actors.

It must be noted also that the loot recovery efforts of the Obasanjo administration lost credibility in the eyes of Nigerians mainly because they didn’t see enough enthusiasm to recover stolen funds taken away abroad by other corrupt officials.

Moreover, many individuals and groups have questioned the level of secrecy with which government treat returned loots.

David Ugolor, executive director of the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), had expressed outrage on why the agreements between the Swiss and Nigerian governments, as well as the World Bank over the returned funds were shrouded in secrecy.

Dauda Garuba, Nigeria Programme coordinator for Natural Resource Governance Institute, who was involved in the initial arrangement in 2005 to monitor the use of the returned monies, equally expressed disgust with the hanky-panky deals.

He said: “I don’t know what is going on between the World Bank and the Federal Ministry of Finance. But, with the progress made since 2005 on the issue we should by now have gone beyond where we are today.

It would be recalled that SERAP sometime ago sent to the U.S. Department of Justice a new repatriation proposal which would limit control or management of $480 million forfeited Abacha funds by the Nigerian government to the extent necessary to ensure that there is transparency and accountability in the process.

In the case of Alamieyeseigha, the United States had also invited Jonathan and the then Attorney-General, Mohamed Adokie to claim for Nigeria a $700,000 Maryland mansion and a Massachusetts investment account worth about $400,000. Both had been recovered from Alamieyeseigha, but Jonathan and Adokie were said to have refused to confirm and broadcast his guilt. As a result, the US kept the mansion and the account.

Part of conditions for releasing the hundreds of millions of dollars stolen money from Swiss bank was that the World Bank monitors how the funds are applied transparently for the benefit of Nigerians. Civil society groups also undertook to monitor the deployment of the money.

The partners insisted the Nigerian government specify people-centred projects it intends to spend the money on.
Independent monitors and analysts say whatever the government has done with regards to the money has gone on with utmost secrecy, withrelative cooperation from the World Bank. They said the government has deliberately worked to ensure monitors have no way of knowing how the money is handled.

Amidst the confusion over the truth about the recovered loots, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a former minister of finance and coordinating minister for the economy in the immediate past Jonathan administration, recently told the World Bank that about $500 million (N65billion) recovered Abacha from Switzerland was built into the 2004 and 2005 budgets on roads, electricity, education, water and health across all six geo-political zones of Nigeria.

The explanation was contained in the documents the World Bank sent to Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), following enquiries made by SERAP on how the money, tagged ‘Abacha loot’ was spent.

Following Okonjo-Iweala’s disclosure, Adetokunbo Mumuni, executive director, SERAP, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate how the $500million was spent.

Mumuni said his group is making the demand based on reports the group claimed it received from two World Bank officials, Ann May of the Access to Information Team and a director, Mr. Rachid Benmessaond.

In a statement, SERAP said: “In the meantime, our preliminary review of some of the documents and the letter from Mr Rachid Benmessaoud have revealed certain facts which raised more questions about what exactly happened to Abacha loot: First, that Minister of Finance in a letter dated January 9, 2005 explained to the bank that around $500m (N65bn) of Abacha loot received from Switzerland was programmed into and spent in the 2004 and 2005 budgets on roads, electricity, education, water and health across all six geo-political zones of Nigeria.

“Second, the ministry explained to the bank that N18.60bn was spent on roads; N10.83bn spent on health; N7bn spent on education; N6.20bn spent on water; and N21.70bn spent on electricity. It also said that part of the funds was spent on new and ongoing investment projects. The ministry said that relevant federal ministries have the full details on the spending of repatriated Abacha loot. The bank noted that there was no funds monitoring and tracking mechanism in place to trace the spending of Abacha loot,” the organisation also disclosed.

“Third, Rachid Benmessaoud confirmed that the World Bank played a monitoring role in a return of assets by Switzerland but that the bank is not currently involved in the monitoring of spending of Abacha loot that had been returned to Nigeria in recent years. He said the bank would be prepared to set up a mechanism to monitor the use of Abacha loot if the Nigerian government requests the bank’s assistance in this respect,” he said

It is not just about loots recovered from abroad, allegations are rife that certain individuals are helping themselves with recovered public funds.  It would be recalled that the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions recently instituted a probe of Ibrahim Lamorde, immediate past chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over allegations that he fraudulently diverted over N1trillion proceeds of corruption recovered by the agency.

Lamorde was said to have diverted funds recovered from the late Alamieyeseigha; and Tafa Balogun, a former inspector-general of police.

A public affairs analyst, who craved anonymity, said: “The level of corruption in the country can only be tamed by divine intervention. For many years, billions of Naira has been recovered and re-stolen. For this reason, many people are no longer enthusiastic when government says it is on loot-recovery drive,” the analyst said.

 The Ali Baba story

In former days there lived in a town of Persia two brothers, one named Kasim, and the other ‘Ali Baba. Their father divided a small inheritance equally between them. Kasim married a rich wife, and became a wealthy merchant. ‘Ali Baba married a woman as poor as himself, and lived by cutting wood and bringing it upon three asses into the town to sell.

One day, when ‘Ali Baba was in the forest, and had just cut wood enough to load his asses, he saw at a distance a great cloud of dust approaching him. He observed it with attention, and distinguished soon after a body of horsemen, whom he suspected to be robbers. He determined to leave his asses in order to save himself; so climbed up a large tree, planted on a high rock, the branches of which were thick enough to conceal him, and yet enabled him to see all that passed without being discovered.

The troop, to the number of forty, well mounted and armed, came to the foot of the rock on which the tree stood, and there dismounted. Every man unbridled his horse, tied him to some shrub, and hung about his neck a bag of corn which they carried behind them. Then each took off his saddle-bag, which from its weight seemed to ‘Ali Baba to be full of gold and silver. One, whom he took to be their captain, came under the tree in which he was concealed, and making his way through some shrubs, pronounced the words: “Open, Simsim!”  A door opened in the rock; and after he had made all his troop enter before him, he followed them, when the door shut again of itself.

The robbers stayed for sometime within the rock, during which ‘Ali Baba, fearful of being caught, remained in the tree.

At last, the door opened again, and as the captain went in last, so he came out first, and stood to see them all pass by him; when ‘Ali Baba heard him make the door close by pronouncing the words: “Shut, Simsim!” Every man at once went and bridled his horse, fastened his wallet, and mounted again; and when the captain saw them all ready, he put himself at their head, and returned the way they had come.

‘Ali Baba followed them with his eyes as far as he could see them, and afterward waited a long time before he descended. Remembering the words the captain of the robbers used to cause the door to open and shut, he wished to try if his pronouncing them would have the same effect. Accordingly he went among the shrubs, and, receiving the door concealed behind them, stood before it, and said, “Open, Simsim” Whereupon the door instantly flew wide open.    Now ‘Ali Baba expected a dark, dismal cavern, but was surprised to see a well-lighted and spacious chamber, lighted from an opening at the top of the rock, and filled with all sorts of provisions, rich bales of silk, embroideries, and valuable tissues, piled upon one another, gold and silver ingots in great heaps, and money in bags. The sight of all these riches made him suppose that this cave must have been occupied for ages by robbers, who had succeeded one another.

‘Ali Baba went boldly into the cave, and collected as much of the gold coin, which was in bags, as his three asses could carry. When he had loaded them with the bags, he laid wood over them so that they could not be seen. Then he stood before the door, and pronouncing the words, “Shut, Simsim!” the door closed of itself; and he made the best of his way to the town.