The United States of America has said there is a separate $319 million (N121 billion) Sani Abacha loot in the United Kingdom and France.
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This comes after the US helped to repatriate $311 million (N118) stolen by the late former head of state.
The US Embassy in Nigeria, in a statement on Wednesday, disclosed that there is $167 million in stolen assets in France, while there is a separate $152 million in the UK, which is being challenged in court.
“The funds returned last week are distinct and separate from an additional $167m in stolen assets also forfeited in the United Kingdom and France, as well as $152m still in active litigation in the United Kingdom,” the statement read in part.
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Bloomberg had reported that the repatriation of the $152 million, now $155 million due to interest, to Nigeria is being challenged by the UK and the US, because of alleged plans by the Nigerian government to give $110 million out of the money to Kebbi State governor, Atiku Bagudu, a known associate of Abacha, according to The PUNCH.
Nigeria is said to be seeking the approval of a UK court, to take ownership of the assets before returning 70 percent of the proceeds to Bagudu under the terms of a 2018 deal, according to Bloomberg.
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Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has, however, denied entering a deal with Bagudu, but the publication said court papers have proven otherwise.
The UK government’s National Crime Agency is also “opposing the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s application,” according to a motion filed by Bagudu’s brother, Ibrahim, to the district court for the district of columbia, in the US capital on March 30.
The US Department of Justice said in February, that its Nigerian counterpart is hindering its efforts to recover the allegedly laundered money from the UK.
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Bagudu was part of a network controlled by Abacha that “embezzled, misappropriated and extorted billions from the government of Nigeria,” US Department of Justice said.
While successive Nigerian governments have repatriated billions of dollars looted by Abacha, who died in 1998 while in office, the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari said it is prevented from assisting America’s ongoing forfeiture efforts by an agreement between Bagudu and a previous government in 2003.
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Abacha is estimated to have stolen as much as $5bn during his five-year rule.
That 2003 settlement, which was approved by a UK court, allowed Bagudu to return $163 million to Nigeria “without admitting to wrongdoing,” according to US court filings.
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Bagudu was elected a senator in 2009, and as governor of Kebbi State in 2015.
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