$23m Abacha loot: Malami and Buhari are being sued over Nigeria’s agreement with the US

The agreement between Nigeria and the United States for the repatriation $23 million that Sani Abacha stole has led to a lawsuit against President Muhammadu Buhari by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

Abubakar Malami (SAN), the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, is one of the defendants in the case.

The accord was finalized in August after America returned $311 million in Abacha money in 2020.

SERAP has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to order the President and Malami to make the specifics public in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1700/2022.

The body is curious about the safeguards put in place to make sure that the funds that have been returned are not squandered, misdirected, or re-stolen.

The repatriated $23 million, according to SERAP, is subject to mishandling because a large portion of the estimated $5 billion in Abacha wealth that has been recovered since 1999 is still unaccounted for.

Kolawole Oluwadare and Atinuke Adejuyigbe’s lawsuit makes reference to the Nigerian Constitution, the Freedom of Information Act, and the nation’s obligations under international law.

According to the attorneys, Nigerians anticipate the court’s favorable decision because they have a right to know how public funds are being used.

The claim, which was filed on Friday, has not yet had a hearing date set.