The Supreme Court of Nigeria sitting in Nigeria has dismissed a suit filed by family members of the late military dictator, General Sani Abacha, seeking to stop moves by the Nigerian government to reopen the criminal forfeiture proceedings against the former despot.
The government's fresh move to reopen the fraud investigation is targeted at some family members over their alleged complicity in looting the nation’s treasury during Abacha’s regime.
But delivering his judgment on Friday, Justice Emmanuel Agim dismissed the suit for want of merit and substance, according to a report by Daily Post.
The apex court upheld the judgments of both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, which earlier endorsed the power of the Nigerian Government to reopen criminal forfeiture proceedings against the family.
The appeal marked SC/641/2013 was reportedly filed by the eldest surviving son of the late despot, Mohammed and his brother, Abba. The appeal was filed for themselves and on behalf of the family of Abacha.
The respondents are listed as the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF), Abubakar Malami; the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba; DCP P. Y. Hana (Chairman, Special Investigation Panel), the National Security Adviser (NSS) and Magistrate Sonja Nachbaur (of the Principality of Liechtenstein).
Over $5.3 billion stashed abroad by Abacha has been recovered by the Nigerian government in the last 24 years.
According to a report by the Nation, under the military regime of Abdulsalami Abubakar in 1999, $750 million was recovered.
Under former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration between 1999 and 2007, $1.2 billion was recovered in 2002; $149 million from Jersey Island, UK in 2003; $500 million was recovered in 2004 from Switzerland and another $458 recovered in 2005 from Switzerland.
During Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, $1 billion was recovered in 2012 and $380 million in 2015, both tranches from Switzerland.
The administration also recovered $227 million from Liechtenstein in 2014 and $48 million from the United States the same year.
The current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari recovered $322 million from Switzerland in 2017 and $311 million from Jersey Island, United Kingdom in February 2020.
In August 2022, the Nigerian Government signed a fresh agreement with the U.S. government for the return of over $23 million, also looted by the kleptomaniac dictator, Abacha.