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Again, U.S. Repatriates Another $20.6 Million Abacha Loot To Nigeria Govt

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Repatriates Another $20.6 Million Abacha Loot

The Department of Justice announced today that it has transferred over $20.6 million to the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Nigeria) in accordance with an Aug. 23 agreement between the governments to repatriate assets the United States forfeited that were traceable to the kleptocracy of former Nigerian Dictator General Sani Abacha and his co-conspirators, according to People’s Gazette

This repatriation brings the total amount forfeited and returned by the United States in this case to approximately $332.4 million.

In 2014, a judgment was entered in the District of Columbia ordering the forfeiture of approximately $500 million located in accounts around the world, as the result of a civil forfeiture complaint for more than $625 million traceable to money laundering involving the proceeds of General Abacha’s corruption. In 2020, the department repatriated over $311.7 million of the forfeited assets that had been located in the Bailiwick of Jersey. Last year, the U.K. government enforced the U.S. judgment against the additional over $20.6 million.

The forfeited assets represent corrupt monies laundered during and after the military regime of General Abacha, who became Head of State of Nigeria through a military coup on Nov. 17, 1993, and held that position until his death on June 8, 1998. The complaint filed in this case alleges that General Abacha, his son Mohammed Sani Abacha, their associate Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, and others embezzled, misappropriated, and extorted billions of dollars from the government of Nigeria and others, then laundered their criminal proceeds through U.S. financial institutions and transactions in the United States. The United Kingdom’s cooperation in the investigation, restraint, and enforcement of the U.S. judgment, along with the valuable contributions of Nigeria and other law enforcement partners around the world, including the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, as well as those of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, have been instrumental to the recovery of these funds.

Under the agreement signed in August, the United States agreed to transfer 100% of the net forfeited assets to Nigeria to support three critical infrastructure projects in Nigeria that were previously authorized by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian legislature. The $20,637,622.27 mark is a slight reduction from the $23 million announced in August due primarily to exchange rate fluctuations between British pounds sterling and U.S. dollars. The funds governed by this agreement will help finance the Second Niger Bridge, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, and the Abuja-Kano road – investments that will benefit the citizens of each of these important regions in Nigeria.

The agreement includes key measures to ensure transparency and accountability, including administration of the funds and projects by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), financial review by an independent auditor, and monitoring by an independent civil society organization with expertise in engineering and other areas. The agreement also precludes the expenditure of funds to benefit alleged perpetrators of the corruption or to pay contingency fees for lawyers. The agreement reflects the sound principles for ensuring transparency and accountability adopted at the Global Forum on Asset Recovery (GFAR) in December 2017 in Washington, D.C., which the United States and the United Kingdom hosted with support from the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative of the World Bank and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

The department appreciates the extensive assistance provided by the governments of the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Jersey, and France in this investigation.

This case was brought under the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative by a team of dedicated prosecutors in the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section working in partnership with the FBI. Through the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative, the Department of Justice and federal law enforcement agencies seek to safeguard the U.S. financial system from criminal money laundering and to recover the proceeds of foreign official corruption. Where appropriate and possible, the department endeavors to use recovered corruption proceeds to benefit the people harmed by acts of corruption and abuse of public trust.

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NEWS

Obi Urges FG To Comply With Court Order, Release Nnamdi Kanu

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BREAKING: Justice Nyako Orders Maximum Comfort for Nnamdi Kanu

The clamour for the release of the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is gathering momentum.

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi has added his voice to those urging the Federal Government to comply with judicial pronouncements and release Kanu.

This was gleaned from a one-minute-twenty-three second video posted on micro-blogging site by @BiafranTweets, which appeared to be a clip from an interview granted by the former governor of Anambra State.

The tweet was captioned, ‘#FreeNnamdiKanu as Ordered by Our Court, We should for once practice Rules of Law ~ Mr Peter Obi tell Tinubu Government’.

In the video clip, a journalist, who held out his recorder to Obi alluded to the continued unrest in the South-East, and noted that some people were attributing it to Kanu’s continuous incarceration.

The journalist noted that people like Ohaneze and other well-meaning individuals had ‘called for the release of that young man’ (Kanu) and asked ‘what’s your take on this?’

Obi responded, “My take is very simple. I don’t see any reason for his continued detention, especially, as the law, the court has granted him bail. The government must obey the law.

“Rule of law is intrinsic concept that we must cherish and live with. And I’ve said that I’m going to discuss with every agitator.

“And I use this same opportunity to plead with the government to ensure that all those who are in similar conditions are released and discussed with.

“We are in a democratic government; we shouldn’t be doing things that are arbitrary and not within the law.”

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Adeleke Opens Up On Osun’s Agro-centric Initiatives

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Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has opened up on the plans of his administration for the agricultural sector, assuring stakeholders that farm inputs, including tractorization and food security are being addressed by his government.

He made the assertion on Friday evening after a meeting with a Nordic, a firm interested in setting up a tractor assembly plant in Osun State.

Gov Adeleke maintained that his plans for the agricultural sector remained robust and all inclusive.

In his words, “the state is now set for implementation of various programmes in the sector.

“We take Agriculture very seriously. Our government decided to first focus on bridging the infra deficit to strengthen connectivity between rural and urban areas. We first focused on building the roads and bridges as a condition to empower the agricultural sector in the area of transportation and market linkages.

“Now that we have made enormous progress in the infra sector, we are now set to roll out specific programmes for the agricultural sector. I have set up an implementation committee on the recommendations of our food security committee.

“The Committee which is to be chaired by my Special Adviser on Agriculture, Hon Olaniran Akanfe has the mandate to put into effect the suggestions and proposals in the food committee report. Other members of the committee include Olusola Omole, Dr Alaba Towoju, Dr Olu Olajide, Hon Moshood Yakub, Hon Alexander Kehinde Oloke, Adelowo Adekunle Saburi, Kolade Tunde (TISKO) and Engr Badmus Bukola Mikail. The Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture is to serve as the Secretary of the Committee while the Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon Tola Faseru serves as overall Coordinator.

“As we kick-start the implementation of the food security committee, our government is to launch the Osun Young Agropreneurs Incubation Programme which is to target thousands of young farmers and agropreneurs across the agricultural value chain.

“The programme will include at least 1000 hectares of land per local government; provision of land clearing and tractorization; availability of inputs; guaranteed off-taking; all season irrigation farming; integration of hydroponic farming; integration of precision farming and emphasis on gender balancing and inclusivity.

“My Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon Faseru is to chair the action committee which will have representatives from ALGON, traditional institutions among others. Other members of the action committee will include Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Land; Surveyor General of the state; Director Agriculture services at the Ministry of Agriculture; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth; President, Osun Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Mr Adegoke Taiwo Kamal; a representative of farm equipment leasers and Hon Hezekiah Olabamiji Oladele (HOB).

“I have also directed the Commissioner to host a meeting with real farmers on our various farmlands in the state. The Commissioner is to meet genuine farmers to strengthen our partnership as we launch various programmes within the sector.

“I am happy to announce that the federal-state partnership on Fertilizers has yielded positive results. We will as quickly as possible commence the distribution of Fertilizers to our farmers.

“On tractorization, this is another piece of good news. The state has acquired some tractors while the Commissioner has been directed to negotiate a leasing deal with the tractor hiring association. We are also repairing existing tractors.

“Our government is therefore elated to recieve your company with such interest as setting up a tractor assembly plant. We warmly welcome your initiative. The Commissioner for Agriculture is to meet and discuss further with your representative.

“For those into plantation farming, we are raising seedlings across the crop sectors. We are starting with cashew and cocoa.

“More importantly, our government is working on reviving the cocoa industry as well as supporting agro processing through public private partnership. We welcome investors and partners in this critical sector.”

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I Don’t Debate As Well As I Used To,’ Biden Reflects On Debate Performance

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President Joe Biden emphasized his capacity to deliver results while acknowledging challenges with his mobility and speech during a campaign rally in North Carolina.

His remarks followed a heated debate against former President Donald Trump in Georgia, marking a significant moment in the 2024 election cycle.

At the campaign rally in North Carolina on Friday, President Biden addressed supporters stating “Folks, I don’t walk as easy as I used to, I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know. I know how to tell the truth, I know right from wrong.”

To downplay suggestions of being replaced in the presidential race, Democrat Joe Biden emphasized resilience, stating, “I know, as millions of Americans know, when you get knocked down you get back up.”

He also asserted his commitment to safeguarding democracy, declaring, “I won’t allow Trump to attack our democracy again, I don’t think so folks.”

Reflecting on progress made since his predecessor’s tenure, Biden remarked, “The US has come a long way from the mess that Donald Trump left,” highlighting the past “constitutional crisis and international embarrassment” caused by the former president.

Biden reaffirmed his belief that America embodies “honesty and decency” and serves as a “beacon of the world,” contrasting this with Donald Trump’s motives of “revenge and retribution,” which he criticized as never having “built a damn thing.”

Reflecting on the recent debate, President Biden remarked, “I don’t know what you did last night, but I spent 90 minutes on a stage debating with a guy who has the morals of an alley cat.”

He also commented on Trump’s performance, alleging, “Did you see Trump last night? My guess is he set, and I mean this sincerely, a new record for the most lies told in a single debate.”

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