NEWS
Again, U.S. Repatriates Another $20.6 Million Abacha Loot To Nigeria Govt
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.
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.”
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of eight new Federal Permanent Secretaries to fill current and upcoming vacancies in various states and geo-political zones within the top administrative cadre of the Civil Service of the Federation.
In a statement released by presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale on Friday, it was announced that the appointments were made following a rigorous selection process conducted by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
The newly appointed Federal Permanent Secretaries are: Dr. Emanso Umobong Okop from Akwa-Ibom; Obi Emeka Vitalis from Anambra; Mahmood Fatima Sugra Tabi’a from Bauchi; Danjuma Mohammed Sanusi from Jigawa; Olusanya Olubunmi from Ondo; Dr. Keshinro Maryam Ismaila from Zamfara; Akujobi Chinyere Ijeoma representing the South-East region; and Isokpunwu Christopher Osaruwanmwen representing the South-South region.
The President expressed confidence that the new Federal Permanent Secretaries will demonstrate unwavering dedication, diligence, and loyalty to the nation in the execution of their duties, ensuring optimal service delivery to the Nigerian people.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has strongly criticized comments from several governors suggesting that states should set their own minimum wages.
The NLC described the proposal as authoritarian and contrary to the principles of a national minimum wage.
In a statement released on Friday, Benson Upah, the NLC’s Head of Information and Public Affairs, said, “This notion is not only dictatorial but also undermines the very essence as well as the model adopted for creating a national minimum wage in Nigeria.”
For months, labour unions, the government, and the private sector have been engaged in negotiations over a new minimum wage.
The tripartite committee has proposed N62,000, while organized labour is demanding N265,000.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu recently received the committee’s report, declaring to pay what he can afford.
He is currently consulting with stakeholders and plans to send a bill to the National Assembly to enact a new minimum wage.
Earlier this week, the Southern Governors’ Forum argued against a uniform minimum wage, insisting that states should pay what they can afford.
The governors said in a communique “The Forum discussed the minimum wage issues demanded by labour and unanimously agreed that the minimum wage should be reflective of the cost of living and ability to pay, and each State be allowed to negotiate their minimum wage.”
However, the NLC has faulted the governors’ move, stating it “threatens the welfare of Nigerian workers and the national economy.”
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