National Crime Agency (NCA) of the United Kingdom has recovered $23,439,724 taken out of Nigeria illegally by associates and family of the late Sani Abacha, a former military dictator.
Gatekeepers News reports that the UK agency confirmed this in a statement it published on its website, saying the funds form part of a larger pool of monies identified by the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) as having been misappropriated by Abacha and his associates.
The NCA noted that the funds were recovered after nearly seven years of litigation and international negotiation to obtain a recovery order, following a request of recovery by USDOJ.
The funds have now been transferred to the home office for onward transmission to the USDOJ, according to the agency.
Billy Beattie, Asset Denial Senior Manager at NCA, while commenting on the development, said the UK is not a safe haven for criminals to launder their proceeds of crime, adding that civil recovery of assets is a powerful weapon.
“The NCA is committed to ensuring that the UK is not a safe haven for criminals to launder their proceeds of crime, and civil recovery of assets is a powerful weapon in this fight,” Beattie said.
“We work closely with UK and international partners to tackle the threat posed by corruption, which disproportionately impacts the poorest and most vulnerable members of society.
“We are committed to ensuring that those who perpetuate corruption do not benefit from their actions.”
Gatekeepers News reports that Nigeria is still receiving funds looted by Abacha and his associates after over two decades of the former dictator’s regime.
Over $3.624 billion was recovered between 1998 and 2020 from the Abacha loot. In 2020, $311 million in Abacha loot was repatriated to Nigeria from the United States and the Bailiwick of Jersey.
