The French government announced on Friday its intention to repatriate $150 million that was looted by a former Nigerian head of state, Sani Abacha, back to the West African country.
During her one-day visit to Nigeria, France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, spoke to reporters in Abuja.
She confirmed that, in response to a request from the Nigerian Ministry of Justice and in coordination with the US Administration, France has agreed to return the stolen funds in the form of grants earmarked for development projects.
In a firm statement, she said, “I also informed President Tinubu… France will return to Nigeria the assets stolen from the Nigerian people by General Sani Abacha and his family, which have been frozen in France since 2021.”
Ms. Colonna emphasized that discussions between the two governments would soon commence to allocate the repatriated funds for development projects, aligning with the Nigerian government’s priorities.
When asked about France’s apparent involvement in deciding how the looted funds would be utilized, she clarified that France has no authority to dictate the spending of the money.
Instead, it’s part of an agreement established between Nigeria and the family of the former head of state.
In recent years, Nigeria has successfully recovered millions of dollars stolen by the former head of state, even from the US.
General Abacha was a notorious kleptocrat who, alongside Indonesia’s Suharto and Mobutu Seko of Zaire (now DR Congo), was identified by Transparency International as one of the world’s worst state official thieves. It’s estimated that he embezzled between three and five billion dollars, primarily derived from Nigeria’s oil resources.
In a press release issued by presidential spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu expressed his gratitude to the French government, stating, “Thank you for the positive news regarding the return of Abacha loot. We appreciate your effective cooperation in repatriating Nigeria’s funds. We will use it judiciously to achieve our development objectives.”
