ABACHA LOOT: SERAP SUES BUHARI, MALAMI OVER AGREEMENT

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) over “the failure to publish copy and details of the agreement the Federal Government recently signed with the United States for the repatriation of $23 million stolen by the former Head of State, Sani Abacha.

Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, was joined in the suit as a respondent.

The agreement signed in August 2022 came after the $311 million Abacha loot was returned by America in 2020.

In suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1700/2022 filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, SERAP asked the court to direct the President and Malami to make the details of the contractual agreement with the US public.

According to SERAP, “the repatriated $23 million Abacha loot is vulnerable to corruption and mismanagement. Substantial part of the estimated $5 billion returned Abacha loot since 1999 may have been mismanaged, diverted, or re-stolen, and in any case remain unaccounted for.”

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit which was instituted on Friday.