Nigeria
is at the risk of losing $550m recovered from the Abacha family to the United
States, it was learnt yesterday.
Presidential
Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) Chairman Itse Sagay, at a media
conference on asset recovery and asset return in Abuja, said the
government wanted an unconditional return of the country’s stolen
wealth.
The
media parley was jointly organised by PACAC and the Office of the Senior
Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora.
“Nigeria
presently stands to lose another 550 mllion dollars recovered from the Abacha
family to the U.S., contrary to the earlier promise by the U.S. to return
same to Nigeria,” Prof. Sagay said.
The money,
he said represented a tranche from the 480 million dollars
forfeited to the U.S. following a court judgment in August 2014.
Some
countries, including the United States, have given stringent conditions for
repatriation of stolen cash. This, said Sagay, contradicts their promises
made.
Appealing
to Nigerians in the Diaspora to step into the matter, Sagay said, “This is the
time for Nigerians in the Diaspora and every friend of Nigeria to get involved
in the advocacy to recover stolen assets, not just in words but in deed.
“
We need no apologies from recipients of stolen assets. Our demand is the
unconditional return of our stolen national patrimony.”
There
are also challenges in tracing, seizure, forfeiture and return of Nigeria’s
assets – no thanks to the stringent conditions and other uncooperative
attitude of the countries in possession of the stolen funds.
“Out
of the Abacha loot, for instance, Switzerland seized over 505.5 million dollars
between 2004 and 2006.
“The
UK recoverd 2.7 million dollars from Alamieyeseigha’s account in London in 2005
“Alamieyeseigha’s
home and other real estate as at 2005 was estimated at over 15 million dollars.
“On
the 6th of August, 2014, US District Judge, John D. Bates of the District of
Columbia declared forfeited the sum of 480 million dollars from the money
recovered from the Abacha’s family in the US,” he said.
According
him, these funds are just a fraction of Nigeria’s stolen wealth which can be
traced.
The
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, called for the unconditional return of looted funds.
Mrs.
Dabiri-Erewa , who said asset recovery was different from asset returning ,
decried the uncooperative attitude of the countries where stolen funds
are stashed .
“America
has over 400million dollars that have been officially recovered as stolen
funds from Nigeria. But America is keeping the funds; they are telling us about
technicalities. They are saying ‘we recovered doesn’t mean we can return’.
“We
want every Nigerian in Disapora, friends of Nigeria, to join this committee in
demanding that Nigeria’s stolen funds recovered in any part of the world should
be returned to Nigeria,” she said.
According
to her, the person who steals is just as guilty as the person who keeps
stolen funds.
Said
Mrs Dabiri-Erewa: “You can’t give us aid of a billion dollars, and keep a
billion dollars of funds you have recovered from Nigeria.”
Source:The
Nation
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