Abacha Loot: Nigeria Kicked Against US Senator’s Moves Against Return

Nigerian government has refused an attempt by United States lawmaker, Chuck Grassley, to block the repatriation of $320m loot by the late military dictator, Sani Abacha.


Mr Grassley, who is the highest ranking senator in the US, had questioned the Department of Justice why the US was returning such funds to Nigeria.



The senator had said the Buhari-led administration has a high record of human rights violations and thus such funds should not be returned to Nigeria.


In the letter dated April 1 and addressed to Deborah Connor, who is Chief Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Mr Grassley made reference to a Bloomberg report which exposed Nigeria’s arrangement with the governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, who helped Mr Abacha launder billions of naira.


Part of the letter reads; "In 2014, the Isle of Jersey, a British dependency seized more than $320m laundered by the corrupt former dictator of Nigeria, General Sani Abacha.


"After a long legal battle, the Isle of Jersey and the United States have entered into an agreement to repatriate this money back to Nigeria in the coming months.


"Yet, according to a recent Bloomberg article, the current Nigerian government is refusing to help the US Department of Justice finalise a second forfeiture action against a separate $100m in Abacha loot.


"In addition to this lack of cooperation, if Nigeria did receive the second batch of funds, it intends to return the money to an official who DOJ says was involved in corruption with Abacha."


The senator also said the Buhari-led government also perpetrated the abuse of human rights.


"There are also serious human rights concerns. Under President Muhammadu Buhari’s government, Nigerians face violations undermining freedom of religion, freedom of speech, due process, and the rule of law.


"In late December, the US State Department labelled Nigeria a severe violator of religious freedom.