The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency has recovered $23.4 million siphoned out of Nigeria in the 90s by friends and family of the former Nigerian Head of State, General Sani Abacha.
This was confirmed by the NCA via a statement published on its site.
According to the statement, which was seen by Nairametrics, the funds form part of a larger pool of monies identified by the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) as having been misappropriated by Abacha and his associates.
What NCA is saying about the recovered fund
Billy Beattie, Asset Denial Senior Manager, NCA, said: “The NCA is committed to ensuring that the UK is not a safe haven for criminals to launder their proceeds of crime, and civil recovery of assets is a powerful weapon in this fight.
“We work closely with UK and international partners to tackle the threat posed by corruption, which disproportionately impacts the poorest and most vulnerable members of society. We are committed to ensuring that those who perpetuate corruption do not benefit from their actions.”
What you should know
- The NCA’s case is ongoing with further monies having been identified by the USDOJ as having also been misappropriated by Abacha and his associates.
- Acting on a request from the USDOJ, the NCA pursued nearly seven years of protracted litigation and international negotiation to obtain the recovery order, to enforce the US forfeiture order relating to the recovered monies. The funds have now been transferred to the Home Office for onward transmission to the USDOJ.
- The Attorney General’s office on Monday, April 4, 2020, disclosed that Nigeria recovered over $311 million of the alleged stolen funds by the country’s former military ruler, General Sani Abacha, from the United States and the Bailiwick of Jersey.
- Nairametrics had later reported that the $311 million repatriated to Nigeria following the tripartite agreement with the United States and the Bailiwick of Jersey had been handed over to the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority for investment in road projects.
