Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has petitioned the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, demanding an investigation
into the alleged diversion of $500m, part of the over $4bn loot
recovered from the accounts and the family of the late Head of State,
Gen. Sani Abacha.
In his letter, dated December 18, 2015 and addressed to the Chairman
of the EFCC, Falana asked the commission to confirm the actual amount
recovered from the Abacha loot by the Federal Government.
He also asked the commission to determine the extent of the diversion
of the said loot by the immediate past Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala, and former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo had earlier said that “over $2bn
and £100m had been recovered from Abacha family abroad, and as well as
N10bn in cash and properties locally” before he left office.
Falana said that the Goodluck Jonathan administration had continued
the recovery of the loot and recovered over $1bn from Abacha family.
He added that former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister
of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, had in a press statement justified the
withdrawal of N446bn theft charges against one of the sons of the
former Head of State, Mohammed Abacha, as a step to “facilitate the
recovery of the sum of $380m from the Luxembourg proceedings and $550m
from forfeiture proceedings instituted by the United States Department
of Justice.”
Falana who urged the EFCC to probe the alleged diversion of about
$500m and be sure it was fully accounted for, said it would be
difficult for the Federal Government to succeed in its plan to recover
the nation’s stolen money stashed abroad.