Ebun Francis
Nigeria is at the risk of loosing another $550 million recovered from the family of late General Sani Aacha to the Government and people of the United States of America as a result of stringent conditions and other uncooperative attitudes of the US and other countries in possession of such funds stashed away by unscrupulous politicians and public servants,contrary to the earlier promise by the U.S. to return same to Nigeria.
Prof. Itse Sagay, Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), made the disclosure on Thursday at a media conference on asset recovery jointly organised by PACAC and the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora.
He said the amount represented a separate tranche from the earlier $480 million forfeited to the U.S. following a court judgment in August 2014.
According to him, “Nigeria presently stands to lose another S550 million recovered from the Abacha family to the U.S., contrary to the earlier promise by the U.S. to return same to Nigeria.”
“Out of the Abacha loot for instance, Switzerland seized over $505.5 million between 2004 and 2006. The UK recovered 2.7 million dollars from Alamieyeseigha’s account in London in 2005.
“Alamieyeseigha’s home and other real estate as at 2005 was estimated at over 15 million dollars,’’ Sagay said.
In her contribution, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, called for the unconditional return of Nigeria’s looted fund. She explained that asset recovery was different from asset returning and decried the uncooperative attitude of the countries where the stolen funds were being stashed.
Abike Dabiri said, “America has over 400 million dollars that have been officially recovered as stolen funds from Nigeria.
“But America is keeping the funds. They are telling us about technicalities; they are saying we recovered doesn’t mean we can return.
“We want every Nigerian in Diaspora, friends of Nigeria, to join this committee in demanding that every Nigeria’s stolen fund recovered in any part of the world should be returned to Nigeria,” she said.
According to her, the person who steals is just as guilty as the person who keeps stolen funds.
“The person who steals is a criminal; the person who keeps known stolen funds is also liable.
“You can’t give us aid of one billion dollars and keep one billion dollars of funds you have recovered from Nigeria.
“So we will join the committee to embark on an advocacy with Nigerians outside the world to appeal to these nations to do everything possible to return what belongs to Nigeria,”she stated.
