Abacha loot: Malami reacts as US opposes Buhari govt’s ‘plan’ to hand Atiku $100m

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Abacha loot: Malami reacts as US opposes Buhari govt’s ‘plan’ to hand Atiku $100m

Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has dismissed United States’ reported opposition to alleged plan by the President Muhammadu Buhari government to hand $100million to Kebbi Governor, Atiku Bagudu, from recovered Sani Abacha loot.

Malami, through Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, his Special Assistant on Public Relations, called the news widely published by the Nigerian media as false.

“The story regarding paying a Governor certain amount of the repartraited Abacha loot is unfounded and baseless.

“It is only a fiction and figment of imagination of mischief makers who are bent on destroying the good efforts of the Federal Government.

“The report should be disregarded by any sensible and well-meaning persons”, Gwandu said in a statement Friday night.

Bloomberg had reported that there was a commitment by Nigeria to transfer funds to Bagudu after the repatriation of over $308million.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) stated that Bagudu was part of Abacha network that, “embezzled, misappropriated and extorted billions from the government of Nigeria.”

The U.S. is also seeking to seize some assets linked to the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors Forum.

The world power, following a Nigerian government request in 2012, initiated a forfeiture action, including investment portfolios held in London in trust for the Kebbi helmsman.

In about two decades, Nigeria has been able to recover more than $2billion out of the $5billion Transparency International estimated Abacha stole.