Abacha: US Transfers $20.6m To Nigeria, Total Repatriation Now $332m

The United States Department of Justice says it has transferred over $20.6 million to the Nigerian government being funds recovered from former military Head of State, late General Sani Abacha and others.

In a statement on Thursday, the department said the repatriation brought the total amount returned by the United States to approximately $332.4 million.

In 2014, a judgment was entered in the District of Columbia ordering the forfeiture of approximately $500 million located in accounts around the world as the result of a civil forfeiture complaint for more than $625 million traceable to money laundering involving Gen. Abacha.

In 2020, the department repatriated over $311.7 million of the forfeited assets that had been located in the Bailiwick of Jersey. Last year, the UK government enforced the US judgment against the additional over $20.6 million.

The US government said the repatriation was in accordance with an August 23 agreement between both governments to repatriate assets the United States forfeited from Abacha.

The agreement includes key measures to ensure transparency and accountability, including administration of the funds and projects by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), financial review by an independent auditor, and monitoring by an independent civil society organisation with expertise in engineering and other areas.