Abacha's booty: SERAP pursue Buhari and Malami for a deal
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By Adekunle Sulaimon
September 25, 2022
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has filed a lawsuit against the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (Retired) for "failure to publish a copy and details of the agreement the federal government recently signed with the United States for the repatriation of $23 million stolen by former head of state Sani Abacha.
Federation Attorney General and Justice Minister Abubakar Malami has been joined in the lawsuit as a defendant.
The deal signed in August 2022 came after Abacha's loot of $311 million was returned by America in 2020.
In lawsuit FHC/ABJ/CS/1700/2022 filed in the Federal High Court in Abuja, SERAP requested the court to order the President and Malami to make public the details of the contractual agreement with the United States.
The rights group wants to know what mechanisms are in place to ensure repatriated funds are not mismanaged, misappropriated or re-stolen.
According to SERAP, "the repatriated $23 million Abacha loot is vulnerable to corruption and mismanagement. A substantial portion of the estimated $5 billion in Abacha loot returned since 1999 may have been mishandled, misappropriated, or stolen again and, in any case, has still not been found."
The complaint filed by his lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Atinuke Adejuyigbe, reads in part: "The Nigerian Constitution, the Freedom of Information Act and the country's international obligations are based on the principle according to which citizens should have access to information about the activities of their government."
"The federal government has a responsibility to ensure transparency and accountability in how repatriated stolen funds are spent, to reduce vulnerability to corruption and mismanagement.
"It is in the public interest and in the interests of justice to grant this request. Nigerians are entitled to their constitutionally and internationally recognized right to information.< /p>
"The Freedom of Information Act, Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, Section 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and Section 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantees everyone the right to information, including a copy of the agreement on the $23 million Abacha loot repatriated."
No date has been set for the hearing of the action on Friday.
Please share this story:
By Adekunle Sulaimon
September 25, 2022
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has filed a lawsuit against the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (Retired) for "failure to publish a copy and details of the agreement the federal government recently signed with the United States for the repatriation of $23 million stolen by former head of state Sani Abacha.
Federation Attorney General and Justice Minister Abubakar Malami has been joined in the lawsuit as a defendant.
The deal signed in August 2022 came after Abacha's loot of $311 million was returned by America in 2020.
In lawsuit FHC/ABJ/CS/1700/2022 filed in the Federal High Court in Abuja, SERAP requested the court to order the President and Malami to make public the details of the contractual agreement with the United States.
The rights group wants to know what mechanisms are in place to ensure repatriated funds are not mismanaged, misappropriated or re-stolen.
According to SERAP, "the repatriated $23 million Abacha loot is vulnerable to corruption and mismanagement. A substantial portion of the estimated $5 billion in Abacha loot returned since 1999 may have been mishandled, misappropriated, or stolen again and, in any case, has still not been found."
The complaint filed by his lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Atinuke Adejuyigbe, reads in part: "The Nigerian Constitution, the Freedom of Information Act and the country's international obligations are based on the principle according to which citizens should have access to information about the activities of their government."
"The federal government has a responsibility to ensure transparency and accountability in how repatriated stolen funds are spent, to reduce vulnerability to corruption and mismanagement.
"It is in the public interest and in the interests of justice to grant this request. Nigerians are entitled to their constitutionally and internationally recognized right to information.< /p>
"The Freedom of Information Act, Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, Section 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and Section 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantees everyone the right to information, including a copy of the agreement on the $23 million Abacha loot repatriated."
No date has been set for the hearing of the action on Friday.
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