US Government Confiscates Another $458m Abacha Loot

Less than a week after President Goodluck Jonathan
honoured late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, with
an award for “his contributions to the nation,” the
United States has ordered a freeze on a whooping
$458m in assets stolen by the former dictator and
his accomplices.


“This is the largest civil forfeiture action to
recover the proceeds of foreign official
corruption ever brought by the department,”
said Mythili Raman, acting assistant attorney
general.


“General Abacha was one of the most
notorious kleptocrats in memory, who
embezzled billions from the people of Nigeria ,
while millions lived in poverty.”


AFP quoted the Justice Department as saying on
Wednesday that the corruption proceeds – stashed
away in bank accounts in Britain, France and Jersey
– were frozen at Washington’s request with the help
of allies.


Abacha died in office in 1998, but his surviving
relatives still include some of the richest and most
influential figures in Nigeria.


According to a civil forfeiture complaint unsealed in
the US District Court in Washington, the department
wants to recover more than $550m in connection
with the action.


Justice Department said the frozen assets, along with
additional assets named in the complaint,
represented the “proceeds of corruption” during and
after the military regime of Abacha, who became
Head of State through a military coup on November
17, 1993 and held that office until his death on June
8, 1998.


The complaint alleges that Abacha; his son,
Mohammed Sani Abacha; their associate, Abubakar
Atiku Bagudu, and others “embezzled,
misappropriated and extorted billions from the
government of Nigeria and others, then laundered
their criminal proceeds through the purchase of
bonds backed by the United States using US financial
institutions.”


The latest action sent a “clear message” that the
United States is “determined and equipped to
confiscate the ill-gotten riches of corrupt leaders"
from Nigeria who are stealing today. Their day of
reckoning is coming.