The Federal government has received approximately $311,797,866.11 of the Abacha assets repatriated from the United States and the Bailiwick of Jersey.
Attorney-General of Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami confirmed receipt of the funds in a press statement issued by his media aide, Umar Jibrilu Gwandu.
According to Malami, the amount increased significantly from over
$308million mentioned in earlier in February, due to the interest that accrued from 3rd February, 2020 to 28th April, 2020 when the fund was transferred to the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The litigation process for the return of these assets titled “Abacha III” commenced in 2014 while the diplomatic process that
culminated into the signing of the Asset Return Agreement on 3rd
February, 2020 by the Governments of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
United States of America and the Bailiwick of Jersey commenced in 2018.
“This Agreement is based on international law and cooperation measures
that sets out the procedures for the repatriation, transfer,
disposition and management of the assets,” he said.
Accotding to him, “The recovery effort further consolidates on the established record of
the administration of president Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal
Government which has a history of recovery of $322m from Switzerland
in 2018 which is being transparently and judiciously deployed in supporting indigent Nigerians as specified in the agreement signed with the Switzerland and the World Bank.”
Malami who led the negotiation team noted that the Tripartite Agreement and the process towards the implementation represents a major watershed in
International Asset Recovery and Repatriation as it seeks to provide benefit to the victims of corruption.
In line with the 2020 Asset Return Agreement, the fund has been transferred to a Central Bank of Nigeria Asset Recovery designated
account and would be paid to the National Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) within the next fourteen days, which is responsible for the management and execution of the projects to which
the funds will be applied, the Minister stated.
Malami reiterated government committment to to deploy the assets
to support and assist in expediting the construction of three major infrastructure projects across Nigeria, namely: Lagos – Ibadan Expressway, Abuja – Kano Road, as well as the Second Niger Bridge.
He said, the government is in the process of establishing a Project Monitoring Team to oversee the implementation
of the projects and report regularly on progress made to the public.
To ensure transparent management of the returned assets, the Nigerian
government will also engage a Civil Society Organisation, which has
combined expertise in substantial infrastructure projects, civil
engineering, anti-corruption compliance, anti-human trafficking compliance, and procurement to provide additional monitoring and
oversight.
The process for the engagement of the CSO monitor has already commence, he added.
BusinessDay recalls that the recovered funds were laundered through the
U.S. banking system and then held in bank accounts in the Bailiwick of
Jersey.
In 2014, a U.S. Federal Court in Washington D.C. forfeited the
money as property involved in the illicit laundering of the proceeds of corruption arising in Nigeria during the period from 1993 to 1998
when General Abacha was Head of State.
In 2017, the FRN filed a case
in the Bailiwick of Jersey to assert its authority as the owner of these funds and as the victim of the action of General Abacha.
Malami urged for greater cooperation and mutual respect amongst countries in the implementation of expeditious cooperation measures already set out in the United Nations Convention Against Corruption and in the implementation of the Global Forum on Asset Recovery (GFAR) principles on the repatriation of stolen assets.
He then assured Nigerians that the Federal Government would ensure
that the returned assets are transparently managed.
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