Abacha Loot
EKO HOT BLOG reports that in a landmark ruling, the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the disclosure of how approximately $5 billion of the Abacha loot was spent by the governments of former Nigerian Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan, and Muhammadu Buhari.
The court also instructed President Bola Tinubu’s government to reveal the exact amount of money stolen by General Sani Abacha and the total sum of Abacha loot recovered.
The judgment was delivered in response to a Freedom of Information suit filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
Justice James Kolawole Omotosho, who presided over the case, ordered the government to disclose details of the projects executed with the recovered funds, including their locations and the names of the companies and contractors involved. Furthermore, the court directed the government to provide information on the specific roles played by the World Bank and other partners in the execution of projects funded with Abacha loot under the aforementioned administrations.
The court dismissed the objections raised by the Federal Government and upheld SERAP’s arguments, resulting in a judgment in favor of SERAP. The ruling emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability in governance, asserting that citizens have the right to question the use of public funds.
SERAP subsequently wrote a letter to President Tinubu, urging the government to promptly comply with the judgment and release the spending details of the recovered Abacha loot.
The organization highlighted that adherence to the judgment would demonstrate a commitment to the rule of law, transparency, and accountability in the management of public resources.
SERAP called for a departure from the previous administration’s defiance of the judiciary and stressed the need to combat impunity for grand corruption.
The letter expressed confidence that President Tinubu would recognize compliance with the judgment as crucial for the rule of law and eagerly anticipated a positive response and swift action from the government. The suit named the Minister of Finance and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice as defendants.
In addition to the disclosure of spending details, the court also ordered the government to refer any corruption allegations related to projects funded with Abacha loot to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for investigation and to ensure that those involved in corruption are brought to justice.
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