Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State who was the anchor man of<\/p>\n
the late General Sani Abacha looting spree of Nigeria is currently
\nfighting the United States authorities to keep about $140million he helped
\nthe late dictator stole and kept in offshore accounts.<\/p>\n
Peter Carr of the U.S Department of Justice, USDOJ, told
\npointblanknews.com in an email that Bagudu\u2019s lack of cooperation on the
\ncrimes he committed against Nigeria and the United States is stalling the
\nforfeiture of about $148million held in different portfolios in United
\nKingdom.<\/p>\n
Carr said \u201cAs you are probably aware, the Justice Department brought a
\ncivil forfeiture action against more than $600 million traced to
\ncorruption in Nigeria during the regime of Sani Abacha.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbubakar Bagudu, who is not cooperating with our investigation, is named
\nin the complaint, which also lays out the government\u2019s position on his
\nrole. His relatives are contesting the forfeiture of over $100 million of
\nthe total the Justice Department is seeking to forfeit.\u201d<\/p>\n
The U.S had traced over $600million laundered by the late Abacha. Out of
\nthe $600million, the U.S have agreed to repatriate $480million, with over
\n$100million still in contention.<\/p>\n
The remaining sum from the $600million is what Governor Bagudu is fighting
\nto keep to himself.<\/p>\n
U.S documents revealed that Bagudu, Mohammed Abacha, General Abacha and
\nhis finance minister also allegedly caused the government of Nigeria to
\npurchase Nigerian government bonds at vastly inflated prices from a
\ncompany controlled by Bagudu and Mohammed Abacha, generating an illegal
\nwindfall of more than $282 million.<\/p>\n
Bagudu who was aSenator under the platform of the\u00a0 Peoples Democratic
\nParty, PDP, switched to the All Progressive Congress, APC, to run for the
\nGovernorship elections in 2015 which he won.<\/p>\n
U.S Court paper alleges that Governor Bagudu of Yobe State, late General
\nAbacha, his son Mohammed Sani Abacha and others embezzled, misappropriated
\nand extorted billions of dollars from the government of Nigeria and
\nothers, then laundered their criminal proceeds through U.S. financial
\ninstitutions and the purchase of bonds backed by the United States.<\/p>\n
Some of the investments made with the stolen funds according to sources
\nfrom the U.S Justice Department have been traced and the plans being made
\nto retrieve them and repatriate to Nigeria.<\/p>\n
While the U.S is bent on repatriating stolen funds, Governor Bagudu has
\nmounted stiff resistance in cooperating with investigators. The Governor,
\naccording to a U.S Justice official is now resorting to using judicial
\nprocess to block officials from the funds.<\/p>\n
Sources told Pointblanknews.com that U.S officials have severally mentioned<\/p>\n
Bagudu to President Mohammadu Buhari and officials of the Economic and
\nFinancial Crimes Commissions, EFCC, at recent meetings but have not
\nreceived \u201cserious commitment\u201d to deal with the matter between the U.S and
\nthe Kebbi Governor.<\/p>\n
The Criminal Division of the Office of International Affairs of the US
\nDepartment of Justice, in a letter to the Federal Government, identified
\nthe accounts where Abacha loot was hidden through the help of Governor
\nBagudu as follows:<\/p>\n
Doraville Properties Corporation \u2013 $287 million in Account Number 80020796
\nlocated at Deutsche Bank International Limited in the Bailiwick of Jersey;
\nHSBC Fund Administration (Jersey) \u2013 $12 million in account number S-104460
\nin the Bailiwick of Jersey; and Rayville International, S. A \u2013 $1 million
\nin account number 223405880IUSD at Banque SBA in Paris, France.<\/p>\n
Others are Standard Alliance Financial Services Limited \u2013 $144 million in
\naccount 223406510PUSD at Banque SBA in Paris; Mecosta Securities \u2013 $21.7
\nmillion in accounts 10030688 and 100138409 at Standard Bank in the United
\nKingdom; and HSBC Bank Plc \u2013 $1.6 million in account number 38175076.<\/p>\n
Also listed are Blue Holding (1) Pte Ltd\/ Ridley Group Limited \u2013
\n\u00a36,806,900; Blue Holding (2) Pte. Ltd\/ Ridley Group Limited \u2013 \u00a321,846,983;
\nBlue Holding (1) Pte. Ltd\/ Ridley Group Limited \u2013 \u00a310,293,343.58; Blue
\nHolding (2) Pte. Ltd\/Ridley Group Limited \u2013 \u00a356,962,996.26.<\/p>\n
Governor Bagudu has severally refused media enquiries. Efforts made by
\nPointblanknews.com speak to his media aide, Abubakar Dakingari, were
\nrebuffed.<\/p>\n
The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Sulaiman Argungun who offered to speak
\ntold Pointblanknews.com that \u201cit\u2019s a personal matter. The U.S should write
\nthe Governor if they want anything.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State who was the anchor man of the late General Sani Abacha looting spree of Nigeria is currently fighting the United States authorities to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48703,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n