• Advertise
  • Opinion
  • Features & Interviews
  • Investigation
  • Contact
Monday, October 2, 2023
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Lagos Today
  • Home
  • News
    • Lagos News
    • National News
    • World News
  • Entertainment⚡ by CRAWL
    • All
    • Art & Design
    • Books
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Sports
    Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania named Joint Hosts of AFCON 2027 as Nigeria loses bid

    Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania named Joint Hosts of AFCON 2027 as Nigeria loses bid

    ‘The Black Book’ becomes 1st Nollywood Movie to rank number 1 Globally on Netflix

    ‘The Black Book’ becomes 1st Nollywood Movie to rank number 1 Globally on Netflix

    I’m not involved in Mohbad’s Death, Naira Marley insists

    I’m not involved in Mohbad’s Death, Naira Marley insists

    Nigeria’s Sports Minister arrives Egypt to bid for hosting AFCON 2027

    Nigeria’s Sports Minister arrives Egypt to bid for hosting AFCON 2027

    Tears as Nigerian Singer, Mohbad, is laid to rest in Lagos

    Mohbad: Reps mourn Late Musician

    Adesanya faces Three Months in Jail over Drunk Driving in New Zealand

    Adesanya faces Three Months in Jail over Drunk Driving in New Zealand

    Nigeria wins 12 Gold Medals at 2023 ITTF African Para Championships 

    Nigeria wins 12 Gold Medals at 2023 ITTF African Para Championships 

    Tears as Nigerian Singer, Mohbad, is laid to rest in Lagos

    Mohbad’s Autopsy completed- Lagos Police

    Police exhumes Body of Mohbad for Autopsy

    Police exhumes Body of Mohbad for Autopsy

    Tears as Nigerian Singer, Mohbad, is laid to rest in Lagos

    Why we buried Mohbad quickly on his only land- Mohbad’s Father

  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Features & Interviews
  • Best Of Lagos
    Lagos welcomes The Art hotel: A flamboyant 5 star Business Boutique Hotel

    Lagos welcomes The Art hotel: A flamboyant 5 star Business Boutique Hotel

    THE LUXURY NETWORK NIGERIA ANNOUNCES NEW MEMBER, AFFINITY ART GALLERY

    THE LUXURY NETWORK NIGERIA ANNOUNCES NEW MEMBER, AFFINITY ART GALLERY

    THE LUXURY NETWORK NIGERIA HOSTS MEMBERS’ NETWORKING FORUM

    THE LUXURY NETWORK NIGERIA HOSTS MEMBERS’ NETWORKING FORUM

    Exploring Lagos’ Gastronomy With Chef Priyank Singh of Hard Rock Cafe

    Exploring Lagos’ Gastronomy With Chef Priyank Singh of Hard Rock Cafe

    Olu Oyinsan- Saying Yes To Founders At The Early Stage

    Olu Oyinsan- Saying Yes To Founders At The Early Stage

    A Rare Hobby: Sports Fishing In Lagos

    A Rare Hobby: Sports Fishing In Lagos

    Chef Nkesi- Experiencing Different Cultures Through Food

    Chef Nkesi- Experiencing Different Cultures Through Food

    Wumi Jubril: Creating Memorable Experiences

    Wumi Jubril: Creating Memorable Experiences

    Nordic hotel

    Nordic Hotel Makes Grand Debut in Lagos

  • Things To Do
  • Home
  • News
    • Lagos News
    • National News
    • World News
  • Entertainment⚡ by CRAWL
    • All
    • Art & Design
    • Books
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Sports
    Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania named Joint Hosts of AFCON 2027 as Nigeria loses bid

    Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania named Joint Hosts of AFCON 2027 as Nigeria loses bid

    ‘The Black Book’ becomes 1st Nollywood Movie to rank number 1 Globally on Netflix

    ‘The Black Book’ becomes 1st Nollywood Movie to rank number 1 Globally on Netflix

    I’m not involved in Mohbad’s Death, Naira Marley insists

    I’m not involved in Mohbad’s Death, Naira Marley insists

    Nigeria’s Sports Minister arrives Egypt to bid for hosting AFCON 2027

    Nigeria’s Sports Minister arrives Egypt to bid for hosting AFCON 2027

    Tears as Nigerian Singer, Mohbad, is laid to rest in Lagos

    Mohbad: Reps mourn Late Musician

    Adesanya faces Three Months in Jail over Drunk Driving in New Zealand

    Adesanya faces Three Months in Jail over Drunk Driving in New Zealand

    Nigeria wins 12 Gold Medals at 2023 ITTF African Para Championships 

    Nigeria wins 12 Gold Medals at 2023 ITTF African Para Championships 

    Tears as Nigerian Singer, Mohbad, is laid to rest in Lagos

    Mohbad’s Autopsy completed- Lagos Police

    Police exhumes Body of Mohbad for Autopsy

    Police exhumes Body of Mohbad for Autopsy

    Tears as Nigerian Singer, Mohbad, is laid to rest in Lagos

    Why we buried Mohbad quickly on his only land- Mohbad’s Father

  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Features & Interviews
  • Best Of Lagos
    Lagos welcomes The Art hotel: A flamboyant 5 star Business Boutique Hotel

    Lagos welcomes The Art hotel: A flamboyant 5 star Business Boutique Hotel

    THE LUXURY NETWORK NIGERIA ANNOUNCES NEW MEMBER, AFFINITY ART GALLERY

    THE LUXURY NETWORK NIGERIA ANNOUNCES NEW MEMBER, AFFINITY ART GALLERY

    THE LUXURY NETWORK NIGERIA HOSTS MEMBERS’ NETWORKING FORUM

    THE LUXURY NETWORK NIGERIA HOSTS MEMBERS’ NETWORKING FORUM

    Exploring Lagos’ Gastronomy With Chef Priyank Singh of Hard Rock Cafe

    Exploring Lagos’ Gastronomy With Chef Priyank Singh of Hard Rock Cafe

    Olu Oyinsan- Saying Yes To Founders At The Early Stage

    Olu Oyinsan- Saying Yes To Founders At The Early Stage

    A Rare Hobby: Sports Fishing In Lagos

    A Rare Hobby: Sports Fishing In Lagos

    Chef Nkesi- Experiencing Different Cultures Through Food

    Chef Nkesi- Experiencing Different Cultures Through Food

    Wumi Jubril: Creating Memorable Experiences

    Wumi Jubril: Creating Memorable Experiences

    Nordic hotel

    Nordic Hotel Makes Grand Debut in Lagos

  • Things To Do
No Result
View All Result
The Lagos Today
No Result
View All Result
Home National

$5bn Abacha Loot: Court orders Buhari, Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan to account for Loot

by Rosemary Opara
July 10, 2023
in National, Headlines
6 min read
0
0
$5bn Abacha Loot: Court orders Buhari, Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan to account for Loot
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

…Court gives former Presidents 7 days 

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, in a landmark judgment, has ordered the disclosure of the spending details of about USD$5 billion Abacha loot by the governments of former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari.

The court ordered the government of President Bola Tinubu to “disclose the 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 by the governments of former presidents Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan and Buhari.”

The judgment was delivered last week by Justice James Kolawole Omotosho following a Freedom of Information suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/407/2020, brought by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

In his judgment, Justice Omotosho held that, “In the final analysis, the application by SERAP is meritorious and the Federal Government through the Ministry of Finance is hereby ordered to furnish SERAP with the full spending details of about $5bn Abacha loot within 7 days of this judgment.”

Justice Omotosho ordered the government to “disclose details of the projects executed with the Abacha loot, locations of any such projects and the names of companies and contractors that carried or carrying out the projects since the return of democracy in 1999 till date.”

Justice Omotosho also ordered the government to “disclose details of specific roles played by the World Bank and other partners in the execution of any projects funded with Abacha loot under the governments of former presidents Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan and Buhari.”

Justice Omotosho also stated that, “The excuse by the Minister of Finance is that the Ministry has searched its records and the details of the exact public funds stolen by Abacha and how the funds have been spent are not held by the Ministry. The excuse has no leg to stand in view of section 7 of the Freedom of Information Act.”

Justice Omotosho dismissed all the objections raised by the Federal Government and upheld SERAP’s arguments. Consequently, the court entered judgment in favour of SERAP against the Federal Government.

Justice Omotosho’s judgment, dated 3 July, 2023, read in part: “The failure of the Minister of Finance to write to SERAP informing it of where the said information exists or to transfer the request to public office who has custody of such information is fatal to their case under section 5 of the Freedom of Information Act.

“The Ministry cannot use a blanket statement that it was not in possession of the said records of about $5bn Abacha loot sought by SERAP. The government failed to provide details of the projects executed with the money. It also failed to provide locations of the projects and the names of the companies and contractors that carried out or are carrying out the projects funded with the money.

“I hold that by the clear wordings of section 7 of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, access to information about spending details of $5bn Abacha loot was denied SERAP by the Federal Government.

“The Federal Government had filed a 14 paragraph Counter Affidavit deposed to by Abah Sunday, Litigation Officer in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation argued that SERAP’s suit is frivolous, as it has not shown that the government denied it the information it seeks.

“The Federal Government has also stated that SERAP has not established sufficient interest in its application. The government urged the Court to dismiss the suit.

“For the sake of emphasis, possession of locus standi has been the bane of the citizens’ advocates, in the public interest litigation, to query transparency and accountability in governance in Nigeria.

“In a democratic dispensation, such as in Nigeria, the citizens have been proclaimed the owners of sovereignty and mandates that place leaders in the saddle.

“The requirement is a serious fracture of the citizens’ inalienable right to ventilate their grievances against poor governance vis-à-vis expenditure of public funds generated from their taxes.

“The sacrosanct provision of Section 1(2) of the Freedom of Information Act, which has ostracised this disturbing requirement, has, admirably, remedied the harmful mischief appurtenant to it.

“Clearly, section 1 gives a person the right to access any information from any public institution in Nigeria. SERAP is an organization registered in Nigeria and thus a juristic person. As a juristic person, SERAP need not show any specific interest in the spending details of about $5bn Abacha loot to be entitled to the same.

“I therefore hold that SERAP is entitled to the information on the spending details of about $5bn Abacha loot, and need not show any special interest in the information sought.

“The provision of Section 4 of the Freedom of Information Act is quite clear and mandates that public institution or public officer such as the Minister of Finance and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice must make available the information requested within 7 days of the request.”

In the letter dated 8 July 2023 sent to President Tinubu on the judgment, and signed by SERAP deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said, “We urge you to demonstrate your expressed commitment to the rule of law by immediately obeying and respecting the judgment of the Court.”

SERAP’s letter, read in part: “We urge you to direct the Ministry of Finance and the office of the Attorney General of the Federation to immediately compile and release the spending details of recovered Abacha loot as ordered by the court.”

“The immediate enforcement and implementation of the judgment by your government will be a victory for the rule of law, transparency and accountability in the governance processes and management of public resources including the $5bn Abacha loot.

“By immediately complying with the judgment, your government will be demonstrating to Nigerians that it is different from the Buhari government, which persistently and brazenly defied the country’s judiciary, and sending a powerful message to politicians and others that there will be no impunity for grand corruption.

“Immediately implementing the judgment will restore trust and confidence in the independence of Nigeria’s judiciary. SERAP urges you to make a clean break with the past and take clear and decisive steps that demonstrate your commitment to the rule of law, transparency and accountability in the governance processes.

“SERAP trusts that you will see compliance with this judgment as a central aspect of the rule of law; an essential stepping stone to constructing a basic institutional framework for legality and constitutionality. We therefore look forward to your positive response and action on the judgment.”

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

Justice Omotosho granted the following orders of mandamus against the Nigerian government:

AN ORDER OF MANDAMUS is hereby made directing and compelling the Federal Government [through the Ministry of Finance and the office of the Attorney General Federation and Minister of Justice to provide and disclose the following information to SERAP:

[a] 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

[b] Details of the projects executed with the recovered funds, locations of any such projects and the names of companies and contractors that carried or carrying out the projects

[c] Details of specific roles played by the World Bank and other partners in the execution of any projects funded with Abacha loot since 1999.

AN ORDER OF MANDAMUS is hereby made directing and compelling the Federal Government to:

[a] Refer any allegations of corruption involving the execution of projects with Abacha loot to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for investigation

[b] Ensure that anyone involved in alleged corruption in projects executed with Abacha loot is brought to justice if there is relevant and sufficient admissible evidence.

Follow us on social media
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
Tags: Abacha LootFederal High Court AbujaGoodluck JonathanLate Musa Yar’AduaMuhammadu BuhariOlusegun ObasanjoSani AbachaSocio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP)
Previous Post

JAMB scandal: Innoson withdraws scholarship as Mmesoma admits manipulation 

Next Post

Threads hit 100 million users, becomes fastest growing consumer app

Rosemary Opara

Rosemary Opara

Related Posts

Nigeria Gets Loan from China to Partially Fund $2.6bn Ajaokuta-Kano Gas Pipeline Project

$3bn Emergency Loan-For-Crude Oil deployed to stabilise Naira – NEC

by Segun Adewunmi
September 29, 2023
0

An affirmation has been made by the National Economic Council on Thursday that the $3bn emergency loan-for-crude oil the Federal...

Nigerian Government Shared N640.3bn in January

FAAC shares N1.1trn August Revenue to FG, States, LGs

by Segun Adewunmi
September 30, 2023
0

The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has shared a total of N1.1 trillion in August 2023 Federation Account Revenue to...

Next Post
Threads hit 100 million users, becomes fastest growing consumer app

Threads hit 100 million users, becomes fastest growing consumer app

Please login to join discussion

Recommended

Sunday Igboho Clamours Yoruba Secession From Nigeria

Sunday Igboho Clamours Yoruba Secession From Nigeria

3 years ago
COVID-19: Lagos records 87 new confirmed infections

COVID-19: Lagos records 87 new confirmed infections

3 years ago

Popular News

    Newsletter

    Connect with us

    Tags

    #EndSARS 2023 Elections 2023 polls 2023 Presidency ACCIDENT Africa All progressives Congress APC Asiwaju Bola Tinubu Babajide Sanwo-Olu Bitcoin CBN Central Bank of NIgeria Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) China Coronavirus pandemic Covid-19 Covid-19 in Lagos Covid-19 in Nigeria Covid-19 Vaccine Cryptocurrency Drug Trafficking EFCC Federal Government Federal Government of Nigeria Fraud Godwin Emefiele Gov. Sanwo-Olu Insecurity Lagos-Ibadan expressway Lagos state Lagos State Government Lagos State House of Assembly Lagos State Police command Muhammadu Buhari Murder Murtala Muhammed International Airport Naira NDLEA New naira notes Nigeria Rape Strike action United states US

    News

    • Business
    • National
    • Politics
    • Tech

    Opinion

    • Editorials
    • Today’s Opinion
    • Letters
    • Sunday Review
    • Advertise
    • Opinion
    • Features & Interviews
    • Investigation
    • Contact

    © 2020 The Lagos Today - Nkali.

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Home
    • News
      • Lagos News
      • National News
      • World News
    • Entertainment
    • Opinion
    • Business
    • Features & Interviews
    • Best Of Lagos
    • Things To Do

    © 2020 The Lagos Today - Nkali.

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password?

    Create New Account!

    Fill the forms bellow to register

    All fields are required. Log In

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In