Abacha Loot: FG, US, Island of Jersey sign tripartite agreement on return of $318,460,329

Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja

The Federal Government, the United States of America (USA) and the Island of Jersey on Monday signed a tripartite agreement on the return of $318,460,329 looted by late former military Head of State, General Sani Abacha.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement made available to Daily Sun in Abuja by its spokesperson, Ferdinand Nwonye, said the agreement was signed at the United States’ Department of States, Washington DC.

Nwonye added that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, signed on behalf of the Federal Government, while an Assistant Solicitor-General of the Island of Jersey, Mr Mark Temple, signed on behalf of the Island and the Deputy Assistant Attorney-General in the US Department of Justice, Mr Kevin Drisioil, signed on behalf of the Government of the United States.

The Funds, Nwonye also said, are to be used to fund three major projects, namely: the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the Abuja-Kano Expressway and the Second Niger Bridge and will be supervised by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform that the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the United States of America and the Island of Jersey today 3rd February 2020 at the United States Department of States, Washington DC signed a tripartite agreement for the repatriation of the sum of $318,460,329 being an amount looted and starched away by former Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.

“The agreement which was signed by the Attorney General of the Federation Mr Abubakar Malami on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, Mr Mark Temple, Assistant Solicitor General of the Island of Jersey on behalf of the Island and Mr Kevin Drisioil, Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the US Department of Justice on behalf of the Government of the United States was witnessed by the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama and his counterparts from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment; Humanitarian Affairs, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, the National Security Adviser, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Group Managing Director of NNPC, and the Nigerian Ambassador to the United States of America, among others,” Nwonye said in the statement.