$5bn Abacha loot: Court orders Obasanjo, Jonathan, Buhari to account for money

The Federal High Court in Abuja, has ordered former Nigeria presidents to account for how $5billion Abacha recovered funds was spent by the governments of former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan, and Muhammadu Buhari.

The suit was brought before the court by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project.

Dismissing the objections advanced by the FG, the justice held among others, that SERAP is entitled to the information on the spending details of about $5bn Abacha money, and need not show any special interest in the information sought.

Joined as defendants in the suit are the Minister of Finance and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

Delivering judgement, Justice Omotosho granted the following orders of mandamus against the federal government compelling it (through the Ministry of Finance and the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice) to provide and disclose the following information to SERAP: Exact amount of money stolen by General Sani Abacha from Nigeria, and the total amount of Abacha loot recovered and all agreements signed on same since the return of democracy in 1999 till date.

The court also directed the FG to disclose details of the projects executed with the recovered funds, locations of any such projects, and the names of companies and contractors that carried or are carrying out the projects.

Moreso, it ordered the disclosure of “details of specific roles played by the World Bank and other partners in the execution of any projects funded with Abacha loot since 1999.”