The United States has frozen more than $458 million (about N75,340,000,000)
that former Nigerian leader Sani Abacha and his conspirators obtained
through corruption and hid in bank accounts around the world, the U.S.
Justice Department said in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the statement the stash in Britain, France and Jersey
were frozen at Washington’s request with the help of local authorities.
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.
“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.”
About $313 million were restrained in bank accounts in the Bailiwick
of Jersey and $145 million were restrained in bank accounts in France,
the department said in a statement.
The seizure comes less than a week after President Goodluck Jonathan
honoured the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, with an award for
“his contributions to the nation” at the Nigeria Centenary celebration.
Abacha died in 1998 at age 54. Nigeria has for years been fighting to
recover his money, but companies linked to the Abacha family have gone
to court to prevent repatriation.
