We’ll soon recover $750m Abacha loot, Ibori’s £6.9m says Malami

Govt to prosecute 800 terrorism cases
MINISTER of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, (AGF), Mr. Abubakar Malami says the Federal Government has concluded plans to recover additional $750 million allegedly pilfered by the late Head of State, Gen Sani Abacha.

Malami who spoke during an interactive session with the House of Representatives Committee on Justice yesterday further stated that an additional £6.9 million said to have been misappropriated by former governor of Delta State, James Ibori would also be recovered.

Accompanied by officials of the ministry, he told the lawmakers:”In respect of the recovery of looted assets, the ministry will engage in an agree waive policy of using Mutual Legal Assistance Agreements or other bilateral and multilateral instruments to seek cooperation with other jurisdictions to ensure the repatriation of illicitly- acquired assets in foreign jurisdictions.

The collaboration will equally involve the engagement of foreign-based counsel to attend to matters on behalf of the Federal Government.
Low- hanging fruits being targeted in this initiative include $750 million ‘Abaca loot’ as well as the sum of GBP 6.9 million of the ‘Ibori loot’.

In the long run, the ministry will be in a position to coordinate the recovery of billions of dollars in foreign jurisdictions, based on current estimations.”

On the issue of terrorism, the AGF said: “My ministry is currently processing approximately 800 terrorism cases for prosecution .
The resources required for the successful prosecution of these cases as well as the general coordination of the Criminal Justice Sector, were fully captured in the original proposal made by the ministry to the Ministry of Finance.

“The successful prosecution of the above priorities will require the necessary balance of personnel capacity including staff training, travels and tours, resource capacity in terms of adequate budgetary allocations and legislative support by the National Assembly through the passage of all requisite bills, as may be presented by the executive.”