AGF, EFCC chair seal deal with Justice Dept

Anti-graft agency seeks records of recovered £22.5m

United States has agreed to repatriate to Nigeria about $480million believed to have been stolen by the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha and his family.

But the conditions for the repatriation of the cash and other details are being worked out, The Nation has learnt.

Also, it was learnt that the Department of Justice in the United States now has a Kleptocracy Unit, which will assist to track looted funds and money laundered by public officials from Nigeria and other nations.

The planned repatriation is the outcome of the recent meeting between the Department of Justice and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) and the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu.

A source, who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, said: “This is the largest loot ever traced to a former Nigerian public officer in the U.S.

“The DOJ, the AGF and the EFCC have concluded all the talks; we are in the process of repatriation of the $480million.

“Although there are interventions from private lawyers, the DOJ prefers a government-to-government deal.

“ I can tell you that the funds will soon be repatriated. If there is anything left, it has to do with the conditions which the US will attach to the utilisation of the funds.

“The US is likely to advise on specific areas to spend the funds on and the project monitoring mechanisms. It does not want the cash re-looted.”

In the source’s view, there is no hiding place for Nigerian treasury looters in the United States anymore.

“The Federal Government and the U.S. on January 14, 2003 signed the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters between the two nations. So, no corrupt public officers from Nigeria can hide in the US.

“At the session with AGF and the EFCC boss, they told the Nigerian team that the DOJ now has Kleptocracy Unit which is closing tabs on Political Office Holders and other public officers in this country and many other nations.”

The Department of Justice of the United States had in the last few years initiated forfeiture proceedings against the Abachas.

The proceedings made it possible for the Abacha family and its associates to forfeit over $550million and £95,910 in 10 accounts and six investment portfolios linked to them in France, Britain, British Virgin Islands and the United States.

The Criminal Division of the Office of International Affairs of the US Department of Justice, in a letter to the Federal Government, identified the accounts where Abacha loot was hidden.

The highlights are as follows: Doraville Properties Corporation – $287 million in Account Number 80020796 located at Deutsche Bank International Limited in the Bailiwick of Jersey; HSBC Fund Administration (Jersey) – $12 million in account number S-104460 in the Bailiwick of Jersey; and Rayville International, S. A – $1 million in account number 223405880IUSD at Banque SBA in Paris, France.

Others are Standard Alliance Financial Services Limited – $144 million in account 223406510PUSD at Banque SBA in Paris; Mecosta Securities – $21.7 million in accounts 10030688 and 100138409 at Standard Bank in the United Kingdom; and HSBC Bank Plc – $1.6 million in account number 38175076.

Also listed are Blue Holding (1) Pte Ltd/ Ridley Group Limited – £6,806,900; Blue Holding (2) Pte. Ltd/ Ridley Group Limited – £21,846,983; Blue Holding (1) Pte. Ltd/ Ridley Group Limited – £10,293,343.58; Blue Holding (2) Pte. Ltd/Ridley Group Limited – £56,962,996.26

It was learnt that the Abacha family had pledged to cooperate with the Federal Government.

But the EFCC is still probing the whereabouts of £22.5m (N6.18billion) loot which the late Gen. Abacha allegedly stashed away on the Island of Jersey.

No fewer than three prominent Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) have been quizzed by the EFCC on the whereabouts of the records of the recovered £22.5m (N6.18billion).

According to records, the late Head of State allegedly stashed the funds through a Lebanese called Bhojwani.

But when the Office of the AGF was alerted by a whistle-blower, the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan opened discussions with the Attorney-General of the Island of Jersey.

“The AG of the Island of Jersey cooperated fully with the government, leading to the repatriation of the £22.5m. EFCC is still searching for the records from those involved.

A top EFCC source said last night: “We have not closed investigation into the whereabouts of this money.”
http://thenationonlineng.net/u-s-agrees-give-nigeria-480m-abacha-family-loot/

Abeg no be today dem begin wan give nigeria abacha loot... the loot has been looted already

In buhari voice : abacha was not corrupt. Maybe the english confused our president because looting might not mean corruption in his dictionary.



Buhari can you see your life when you said abacha was not corrupt then where is this 480million dollars coming from in abachas' name!!!!. Okay I can see that buhari is not corrupt but is a looter.

Aiit

That will make the amount so far recovered to be in the region of $300 billion. Nigeria should be Eldorado before 2019 with such money if they are not channeled into private pockets.

This news is like a sharp knife through the heart of bitter wailers...they will wake up to learn that the West is still cooperating with Nigeria despite the Chinese deal, against their twisted desires.

Kudos to Magu and Malami (AGF) for facilitating the repatriation of our resources.

This abacha of a guy really looted the country dry. His loot seems not to end.

Almajiri1:
That will make the amount so far recovered to be in the region of $300 billion. Nigeria should be Eldorado before 2019 with such money if they are not channeled into private pockets.

then if that what you said is true why did buhari go to china to borrow $2b when we have recovered close to $300b!!!! Someone is not telling the truth.

Now I understand why buhari said abacha is a saint.

All his embezzlement are coming back home. Should we then say that, abacha was in other way saving for the raining days(in this period of cash crunch).

Actions like this made me also understand why buhari took his time to select his cabinet members.

We need action men and not the talk n no do ones

In other news, Thos cash are better returned in dollar n pounds respectively

Let see the effect of the money first. Tired of all this stories. I need fuel at good price.

jcross19:
then if that what you said is true why did buhari go to china to borrow $2b when we have recovered close to $300b!!!! Someone is not telling the truth.

Buhari knows no excuses for borrowing cash are tenable since we already have $300 billion begging to be put into good use hence he denied the $2b from China. Once the budget issues are cleared, Eldorado begins. Buhari has no excuse not to deliver before 2019 considering the level of liquidity he has.

here comes the cash well that never finishes. this one can't even be compared with oil well, for no one can estimate what's inside. I wonder how many billions deducted by the oyinbos before giving us part.

Bros Jona: stealing is not corruption.

Buhari: looting(abacha) is not corruption.

Where all the money dey go?

Our Leaders don collect loots taya

We no dey see the effect


USA should just keep the money and give us free visas

jcross19:
In buhari voice : abacha was not corrupt. Maybe the english confused our president because looting might not mean corruption in his dictionary.



Buhari can you see your life when you said abacha was not corrupt then where is this 480million dollars coming from in abachas' name!!!!. Okay I can see that buhari is not corrupt but is a looter.

God bless pmb for discovering and recovering our stolen wealth

Why are these people lying on this man's beloved memory like this, we have been told he didn't steal from us ?

fulanimafia:
This news is like a sharp knife through the heart of bitter wailers...they will wake up to learn that the West is still cooperating with Nigeria despite the Chinese deal, against their twisted desires.

Kudos to Magu and Malami (AGF) for facilitating the repatriation of our resources.

see this one rejoice. na today we they hear this kind news? ok. I known it is frustration that makes you behave like this. keep rejoicing for nothing.

And some Nigerians bought the Propaganda that GEJ was our most corrupt leader. Gullible people can be made to believe anything.

That will make the amount so far recovered to be in the region of $300 billion. Nigeria should be Eldorado before 2019 with such money if they are not channeled into private pockets.

fulanimafia:
This news is like a sharp knife through the heart of bitter wailers...they will wake up to learn that the West is still cooperating with Nigeria despite the Chinese deal, against their twisted desires.

Kudos to Magu and Malami (AGF) for facilitating the repatriation of our resources.

“The Federal Government and the U.S. on January 14, 2003 signed the Treaty on Mutual Legal
Assistance in Criminal Matters between the two nations. So, no corrupt public officers from
Nigeria can hide in the US. culled from d article.


but abacha never stole so which monies abi loot are they repatriating again?


who was d president when that aggrement was signed?

Abacha is just the conduit, the real thieves are western leaders who helped him to move this funds to their countries.
America will return the loot with several conditions (as if it is their money) to the Federal Govt without any accruable interest for 20 years when their banks have gained so much in transacting with the looted funds.

This money was promised to be returned since PMB visited Obama in June 2015 and is just coming now because they fear Buhari is beginning to look east to China, Middle East and probably Russia which will not go down favourably with the West because Nigeria's over dependence on the Dollar will reduce and this will also affect plans by the so called 'port folio' investors from the west to buy off national assets at below actual values.

The above is also making the EU parliament to suddenly decide to intervene on the issue of Nnandi Kanu who is now being called 'EU citizen' and this moves is quite predictable to some of us who are versed in International global politics.
The propaganda has already commenced with the recent EU parliament move seeking to demonize the Federal Government of Nigeria as violating the fundamental human rights of Mr Nnamdi Kanu of IPOB with wide international media publicity just immediately the announcement came that the President has signed an agreement with China for dollar swap and also the resurgent agitation in the western media (CNN, BBC, SKY etc) for the Chibok Girls led by CNN providing an 'exclusive' video which they had since December 2015 as evidence that the girls may be alive are all part of the western media propaganda that we may see coming up in the next weeks.

Nigerians must gear up and know that the west will surely fight back using different means which are public knowledge such as sponsoring terror groups like they did in Syria and Libya to destabilize the country further and for Nigeria it means Boko Haram, IPOB, Niger Delta militancy and Foreign Fulani Herdsmen getting more support and media coverage (same scenario was used in Syria and Libya where jihadists were imported and armed and trained by the Pentagon and CIA for regime changes and removal of the secular Govts of President Bashar Assad and Gaddafi respectively.
Muamar Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein's attempts to dump the Dollar for Gold Dinar and Euro respectively led to the invasion and destabilization of Libya and Iraq and Syria under the guise of 'humanitarian intervention and promotion of Freedom and Democracy' in those countries and Nigeria should beware in shouting out loud about the currency swap with Yuan (RMB).

The West assisted the APC in coming to power in Nigeria with the hope of installing a puppet for Nigeria and would have helped us to destroy our country in 2015 if Jonathan had not accepted defeat like we witnessed in Ivory Coast were France under a spurious UN mandate intervened as 'peacekeepers' to bomb their candidate Alassane Ouatara (a former Director of IMF) to the Presidency when Laurent Gbagbo insisted he won the election which was reaffirmed by the Supreme Court of that country. The French claimed that the judges of the Ivorian Supreme court were made up of Gbagbos friends (but it is a constitutional body no matter how flawed we may think) and the intervention by France to forcefully install Ouatara led to a loss of over 3000 African lives.
Now if we juxtapose the Ivorian situation with Nigeria we should be grateful to GEJ for acceding to the results of that election against his party PDP position that it was flawed with under-aged voting, electoral manipulation etc.

All the claims to recovery of stolen Nigerian funds by the west have yielded little results like this one ($480m out of $150b) instead the media is bombarded with promises of investment by US and EU with little to show for it in terms of infrastructure and job creation.

The IMF has consistently encouraged Nigeria to devalue its currency and take loans from them, suggestions that has been rejected by PMB through the country's Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun in favour of home grown economic models is a good development but will not go down well with the west as its success will encourage other African countries to follow the same path with Nigeria.

Nigerians should know that the progress of this nation will not go down well with some powerful nations who think they are losing out and may use those elements that has always divided us to foment trouble such as our Tribal and Religious differences, but we should not be as foolish as some Arabs who fell for the trick of US led 'Freedom and Democracy' during the CIA instigated Arab Spring to destroy a very stable country like Libya which had the highest standard of living of living in Africa under the 'Brutal Dictator Gaddafi Regime' using western media demonization lexicon to describe leaders they dont like; if PMB continues to seek closer partnership with the east, we should not be surprised when foreign media start referring to him as Nigeria brutal dictator despite him being democratically elected.

We should not fall for any propaganda, let America and the west return all our stolen funds, after all its not their money, they only condition should be that a credible body of eminent incorruptible Nigerians should be constituted to monitor how the funds are spent.
We may be going through a difficult phase but if we believe Nigeria will be great again.
The Federal Govt needs to monitor closely the kind of information passed through BBC and VOA Hausa radio Services since it is the most popular medium for news in the North but have led to riots in the past through incisive broadcasts on the BBC.

In other news..

The hypocrisy of the West.......they feel comfortable helping corrupt African leaders in stashing funds stolen from their people and would turn around to promise to help "trace" and return the funds, while making profit from it all.

jcross19:
then if that what you said is true why did buhari go to china to borrow $2b when we have recovered close to $300b!!!! Someone is not telling the truth.

lol NO someone was high on gwaro lol

This Abacha loot that doesn't end is not a joke o! As at late 90s when this man died in power and such monies has been missing, that implies that he must have mortgaged Nigeria into Swiss and Western Union Accounts!

And someone said Abacha wasn't corrupt. Only God knows how much Abacha gave this man too as his share of the loot. ALL ABOKKIS LOVE MONEY! ASK DANGOTE, ABACHA, DANTATA, ATIKU, ETC. AND THEN ONE MAN WILL COME AND TELL US HE IS A SAINT AND HE IS HERE FOR CHSNGE. I LAUGH IN ISHAN!

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