Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Rights activist, Femi Falana, has said President Muhammadu Buhari owes Nigerians a public apology, over his claim that late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, did not steal any money during his tenure.
Falana, who said the public apology is imperative, especially as over $4 billion has been recovered from Abacha, equally tasked Buhari to investigate the $16 billion allegedly spent in the power sector during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.
The legal luminary stated this in Abuja, yesterday, when he spoke at a conference on agenda setting for Citizens’ interaction with stolen assets recovery: Abacha Loot Recovery and Utilisation as Case Study,” organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA).
He recalled that following Abacha’s death on June 8,1998, his successor, General Abdulsalmi Abubakar launched a probe into alleged looting of the Central Bank of Nigeria, from 1993 to 1998.
According to him, the enquiry revealed that Abacha allegedly stole over $5 billion from the apex bank; traced to 140 bank accounts in western countries and remote islands in the world.
“Following the death of the then military Head of State, General Sani Abacha on June 8, 1998, his successor, General Abdulsalami Abubakar ordered a probe into the looting of the Central Bank of Nigeria from 1993-1998. At the end of the enquiry it was established that the late dictator stole over $5 billion from the vaults of the CBN, through his National Security Adviser, Mr. Mohammed Gwazo. “A substantial part of the stolen fund has since been traced to over 140 bank accounts in western countries and some remote islands in the world.
“It is pertinent to note that not less than $3.5 billion had been recovered from the Abacha loot. Much more can still be recovered…On account of the loot that has recovered so far by the federal government, President Buhari ought to publicly apologise to the Nigerian people, having denied that the late Abacha was involved in the criminal diversion of public funds,” Falana stated.
Besides, he called on government to give full disclosure on the amount recovered from Abacha, as well as extend the investigation alleged criminal diversion of some of the recovered loot to indicted public officers.
“But, apart from demanding for full account of the Abacha loot, we must insist that investigation of the criminal diversion of looted wealth be extended to cover other indicted public officers.
“During the electioneering campaign last year, president Buhari threatened to probe the $16 billion allegedly purpotedly spent on generating electricity in the country. This allegation ought to be investigated without any further delay,” Falana said.