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Tag: Sani Abacha

  • Late Sani Abacha’s family drags president Tinubu to court over revoked Property

    Late Sani Abacha’s family drags president Tinubu to court over revoked Property

    The Abacha family, including Nigeria’s former First Lady, Hajia Mariam Sani Abacha, and her son, Mohammed Sani Abacha, has appealed to the Court of Appeal in Abuja, seeking to recover a property allegedly revoked unlawfully by the Federal Government.

    The property, located in the Maitama District of Abuja, was reportedly sold to Salamed Ventures Limited without the Abacha family’s knowledge.

     

    The family aims to overturn the Federal High Court’s decision from May 19, 2024, which dismissed their case.

    They argue that Justice Peter Lifu, who dismissed the suit, erred in his judgment, including rulings on jurisdiction and the family’s standing to sue.

     

    Key arguments in the appeal include:

     

    Jurisdiction Issues: The Abacha family claims that the judge wrongly ruled their case as dismissed due to lack of jurisdiction rather than struck out, contradicting previous court decisions on the matter.

     

    Locus Standi: They argue that they have the legal standing to file the suit as representatives of the late General Sani Abacha’s estate, disputing the judge’s decision that they lacked authority.

     

    Statute of Limitations: The family disputes the ruling that their case was statute-barred, emphasizing that their legal action was timely following a Court of Appeal decision in 2015.

     

    .Sale During Litigation: The family argues against the sale of the property to Salamed Ventures Limited during ongoing litigation, claiming it violated legal principles.

     

    Revocation Validity:They challenge the legality of the property’s revocation and subsequent sale, arguing it was not conducted in line with the Land Use Act requirements for public interest.

     

    The Abacha family is seeking the Court of Appeal to annul the lower court’s ruling and address the issues they have raised, including the revocation process and compensation for the property.

  • France to return $150m Abacha loot – Presidency

    France to return $150m Abacha loot – Presidency

    The Presidency has said France will return $150 million looted by former Nigerian military leader, General Sani Abacha.

    The presidency in a statement on Friday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, said President Bola Tinubu commended the European country for the decision.

    Receiving the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, Catherine Colonna, the highly-elated President hailed the strengthening of bilateral relations between Nigeria and France, noting that this progress followed his visit to Paris after his inauguration.

     “Thank you for the good news on the return of Abacha loot. We appreciate your effective cooperation concerning the return of Nigeria’s money. It will be judiciously applied in attaining our development objectives,” Tinubu was quoted as saying.

    Tinubu also acknowledged the signing of a €100 million agreement between Nigeria and France to support the i-DICE programme — a Federal Government initiative to promote investment in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Creative Arts Industries.

    The agreement was signed by the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Technology, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, and the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs at an earlier event at Tafawa Balewa House, the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

     

    In her remarks, the French minister conveyed the goodwill of President Emmanuel Macron and expressed France’s readiness to expand mutually beneficial collaboration with Nigeria across multiple sectors.

    She proceeded to extend a formal invitation to President Bola Tinubu to attend the forthcoming Paris Peace Forum.

    Speaking on the Abacha loot, the French Presidential Envoy said the repatriation followed the completion of legal processes.

    “It was a long process, but we are glad that it was concluded. Sometimes, justice may be slow, but this is a very good achievement,” she said.

     

     

  • Why court ordered Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan, Buhari govts to give account for $5bn Abacha loot

    Why court ordered Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan, Buhari govts to give account for $5bn Abacha loot

    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 the 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 of the 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.

  • BREAKING: Abacha’s ex-Chief of Staff, Oladipo Diya is dead

    BREAKING: Abacha’s ex-Chief of Staff, Oladipo Diya is dead

    Former Chief of Staff in General Sani Abacha’s military junta, Lt-General Donaldson Oladipo Oyeyinka Diya (retd) is dead.

    His death was confirmed by Prince Oyesinmilola Diya. He said the former military administrator of Ogun State passed on to glory in the early hours of 26th March 2023.

    Born on the 3rd of April, 1944, Diya was military Governor of Ogun State after the Buhari-Idiagbon coup of December 31st, 1983.

    Diya joined the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna and fought during the Nigerian Civil War.

    He later attended the US Army School of Infantry, the Command and Staff College, Jaji (1980–1981) and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru.

    While serving in the military, Diya studied law at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he obtained an LLB degree, and then at the Nigerian Law School, where he was called to bar as Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

    He held other top military posts like GOC, 82 Division and finally the Chief of General Staff (military Vice President) to Gen Sani Abacha

    The statement read:

    “On behalf of the entire Diya family home and abroad; We announce the passing on to Glory of our dear Husband,Father, Grandfather,brother, Lt- General Donaldson Oladipo Oyeyinka Diya (Rtd) GCON, LLB, BL, PSC, FSS, mni.

    “Our dear Daddy passed onto glory in the early hours of 26th March 2023. Please keep us in your prayers as we mourn his demise in this period. Further announcements will be made public in due course.

    “Barrister Prince Oyesinmilola Diya, on behalf of the family.”

  • 2023: Abacha’s son wins Kano PDP governorship ticket

    Alhaji Muhammad Abacha, son of former military leader, Sani Abacha has emerged governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 general election in Kano State.

    Abacha polled 736 votes to defeat his closest rival, Jafar Sani-Bello, who scored 710 votes in the primary election on Wednesday in Kano state.

    Announcing the results, the Returning Officer,  Hajiya Amina Garba, declared  Abacha as the winner of the primaries having scored 736 votes.

    The Chairman the Electoral Committee, Alhaji Mohammed Jamu, said the primaries were legally conducted with validly-elected delegates and supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, police and State Security Service operatives.

  • Abacha’s former Chief of Defence Staff, Dogonyaro is dead

    Abacha’s former Chief of Defence Staff, Dogonyaro is dead

    The former Chief of Defence Staff to late Gen. Sani Abacha, Lt-Gen. Joshua Dogonyaro has died.

    He died at the age of 80.

    Late retired Lt. Gen. Dogonyaro, a soldier and an administrator, was born on Sept. 12, 1940 in Vom, Plateau State, though a native of Taroh in Langtang North Local Government Area.

    Dogonyaro had his early education at Boys’ Secondary School, Gindiri, and there after was enlisted in the Nigerian Army, 1964.

    He was commissioned Second-Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps, 1967; Officer Commanding, 1 Recce Squadron, NA, 1967-69; Quartermaster General, I Infantry Division (Main), N, 1969-70.

    The late general became Chief Instructor and Adjutant, Rece Training School, NA, 1970 to 1972; Commandirg Officer, I Recce Regiment, NA., 1972 to 1976.

    He was appointed Principal Staff Officer, Headquarters, Nigerian Army Armoured Corp, 1976 to 1977; Commanding Officer, 24 Armoured Brigade, NA., 1977-79.

    Between 1984 and 1985, he was made the Task Force Commanding Officer, 203 Armoured Battalion on the Peace-keeping Force in Chad; Director of Manning (Army), Army Headquarters, ‘A’ Branch, N.A and Director of Armoury, 1985.

    He was also the General Officer Commanding 3 Armoured Division, N.A, Jos, 1985 to 1987; mm: Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC), 1985; General Officer Commanding 2nd Mechanised Division, N.A, Ibadan, 1987;promoted Major-General, 1988; Promoted Lt. General; former ECOMOG Commander; retired in 1993;

    Dogonyaro attended also the National Institute for Policy and Suategic Studies, Kuru, Jos and obtained National Institute (mni) in addition to the Staff College (Psc) and Forces Service Star (FSS).

    Meanwhile, Joseph, first son of the deceased has confirmed the death of his father to the News Agency of Nigeria in a telephone interview in Pankshin.

    “Daddy has been sick for some time until yesterday when he had a stroke and we rushed him to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for medical attention.

    “Unfortunately, early this morning (Thursday), around 3.00am precisely, he breathed his last.

    “His death comes as a rude shock to us as a family. We are going to miss his love and warm as a grandfather, father, brother, uncle and supporter,” he said.

    Joseph said that the family was trying to cope with the shocked of the general’s demise and would discuss the funeral arrangements soon.

    He described his father as “a General who was so faithful and loyal to the nation, Nigeria.”

    “He was a general who had no bias mind as a detribalised Nigerian. He served this nation faithful and identified with all Nigerians and Africa as a continent.

    “We and Nigerians are going to miss him having served humanity in this country and Africa as a whole, ” Joseph said.

    According to him, the corpse of the general has since been deposited at the JUTH mortuary.

  • Supreme Court rejects request to unfreeze Abacha’s accounts in UK, Switzerland, others

    Supreme Court rejects request to unfreeze Abacha’s accounts in UK, Switzerland, others

    The Supreme Court has declined the request by a brother to the late Head of State, Sani Abacha, Alhaji Ali Abacha, to unfreeze the accounts traced to him and relatives of the late Abacha in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Jersey, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg.

    In a unanimous judgment on Friday, a five-man panel of the court, led by Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, held that Ali Abacha’s case was statute barred as at when it was commenced in April 2004 at the Federal High Court in Kaduna.

    The judgment was in the appeal marked: SC/359/2010, filed by Alhaji Ali Abacha, said to be a brother of the late Gen Sani Abacha.

    In the lead judgment prepared by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, but read on Friday by Justice Ejembi Eko, the court held having dismissed a similar appeal in an easier judgment given in February last year, it has no reason to depart from its reasoning that case brought by Alhaji Abba Mohammed Sani on behalf of the Abacha family.

    The court said it noticed that the appellant in this appeal is represented by R. O. Atabo esq, who, incidentally, was the appellant’s counsel in the earlier appeal.

    “No new superior arguments were proferred here to warrant a departure from the decision in the case of Alhaji Sani, earlier decided. This appeal fails, and it is hereby dismissed. Parties to bear their costs,” the court said.

    The appeal was against the July 19, 2010 unanimous judgment of the Court of Appeal, Kaduna division, in which a three-man panel set aside the September 24, 2004 judgment by Justice Mohammed Liman of Federal High Court, Kaduna, earlier given in favour of Ali Abacha.

    Abacha had sued at the Federal High Court, Kaduna in 2004, challenging among others, the 1999 decision by the Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, acting through the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Kanu Agabi (SAN), to request the freezing of all accounts traced to the late Abacha, his family members and relatives in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Jersey, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg.

    He prayed the court to, among others, void the freezing of the accounts on the grounds that the AGF lacked the powers under the Banking (Freezing of Accounts Act, Cap 29, Laws of Nigeria,under which he claimed to have acted, to request the foreign nations to freeze his accounts and those of the companies in which he is a director.

    Justice Liman, in his judgment on September 24, 2004, upheld the claims by Ali Abacha and granted all the reliefs sought, a decision the AGF, listed as the sole defendant, appealed at the Court of Appeal, Kaduna division.

    In their judgment on July 19, 2010, in the appeal marked: CA/K/71/2005, Justices John Inyang Okoro, Baba Alikali Ba’aba and Mohammed Lawal Garba of the Court of Appeal, Kaduna, were unanimous in holding that the suit was statute barred.

    They equally held that the AGF was not accorded fair hearing by the Federal High Court, and proceeded to set aside the judgment by Justice Liman, a decision Ali Abacha appealed to the Supreme Court, which the apex court decided on Friday.

    A five-member panel of the Supreme Court had, in its February 1, 2020 judgment in the earlier appeal, marked: SC68/2010 by Abba Mohammed Sani, held among others, that it was was too late for the Abacha family to query the decision taken by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 1999, via a letter authored by the then Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Kanu Agabi (SAN).

    Justice Chima Nweze, who authored the panel’s lead judgment, held among others, that in view of the evidence presented by parties, he was left with no other options than to uphold the earlier concurrent decisions of the two lower courts (the Federal High Court, Kano and the Court of Appeal, Kaduna division), to the effect that the suit was statute barred.

    Justice Nweze said: “In all forms, with the eloquent submission of the respondents’ counsel, and submissions anchored on the admitted evidence, I have no hesitation in affirming the concurrent decisions of the lower courts.

    “Accordingly, I hereby enter an order dismissing this appeal. I further affirm the concurrent findings and decisions of the lower courts. Appeal dismissed.”

    According to court documents, the then President, Olusegun Obasanjo, in December 1999, authorized the then AGF, Agabi to request the Swiss authorities to freeze all bank accounts held in its jurisdiction by the late Head of State, General Abacha, his children, servants, agents and any other individuals or companies liked to them between 1993 and 1998.

    The Nigeria government was also said to have requested the Swiss authorities to seize and detain all banking and other documents relating to the affected accounts, charge and prosecute all holders of such accounts, in order to recover and pay over to the Federal Government of Nigeria all monies falsely and fraudulently taken from the government and people of Nigeria.

    Also, the FG was said to have engaged a foreign financial investigator, Enrico Monfrini of Hauchomann & Bottage in Geneva, Switzerland, to assist in recovering “all looted monies by Gen Abacha and his family members and other public servants and third parties who have used their position or participated as accomplices to misappropriate public funds.”

    Following these steps by the Federal Government, the accounts of the Abachas found in Switzerland, United Kingdom, Jersey, Liechenstein and Luxembourg were frozen, a development members of the late Head of State challenged by filing a suit, marked: FHC/KN/CS/6/2004, on January 28, 2004 before the Federal High Court, Kano.

  • Buhari mourns Sani Abacha’s younger sister

    Buhari mourns Sani Abacha’s younger sister

    President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sadness over the death of Hajiya Fatima (Fanta) Garba Mohammed, younger sister of late Head of State, General Sani Abacha.

    Hajiya Fatima was also the mother of Senator Basheer Mohammed (Lado), Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

    In a condolence message Buhari sympathises with the Abacha family, Sen. Lado and his siblings as well as the people of Kano State.

    Buhari noted that Hajia Fanta, who lived to the age of 75, devoted her time on earth to caring for the less-privileged and godly upbringing of her children.

    President Buhari prayed that Allah will console all those who mourn and grant Hajiya Fanta Aljannatul Firdaus.

  • Ken Saro-Wiwa: 25 years After – Ajiri-Oghene Oreh

    Ken Saro-Wiwa: 25 years After – Ajiri-Oghene Oreh

    By Ajiri-Oghene Oreh

    The 10th day of November, 1995 was an unusual fateful day. The world froze! The world stood still as agony filled throbbing hearts. Lamentations rented the air. Hopes and aspirations were dashed. Eyes became tear-glazed. Ground reeled. The “wretched of the earth” shuddered with cold just as the atmosphere was eerie. Why the melancholy and lachrymal in the air? It was because the poor people’s hopes and aspirations were hanged to death in a broad daylight by their collective enemy of progress on that day, the tyrannical and murderous military regime of General Sani Abacha then Head of State (1993-1998) despite pleas from home and abroad. The rising sun was eclipsed by Abacha’s devilry. The rising sun that was murdered by the General was Ken Saro-Wiwa, and his eight ebullient compatriots, Baribor Bera, Barinem Kiobel, John Kpuine, Nordu Eawo, Saturday Dobie, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levera and Felix Nuate of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) for the ideals of autonomy, economic self-determination, and environmental justice. These nationalists were the hopes and the aspirations of the people and nations of the fabulously oil-rich but long-neglected Niger Delta region.

    The black continent of Africa is renowned for killing her sun, and her most populated black country Nigeria has an unbeatable records of having the most brutal rulers as represented by the likes of Generals Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida, Sanni Abacha, the insensitive Abdulsalami Abubakar, and Mohammadu Buhari, and more recently, Bola Tinuba and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State. The casualty list has Moshood Abiola, his wife, Kudirat, Papa Alfred Rewane, Dele Giwa, Saro-Wiwa, and the recent armless peaceful protesters at Lekki tollgate in Lagos, all mowed down in cold blood by insensitive agents of the military (and civilian) juntas. Also, through obnoxious structural adjustment programmes, Nigeria, nay, Africa has eliminated and eclipsed her sun. The killing spree has taken a new trend manifested in the increasingly intractable unemployment rate and poverty, all giving rise to socio-political turmoil.

    Although i never encountered the personage, Ken Saro-Wiwa physically, but as a student of African literature, i encountered him and his choices he made in favour of the oppressed people of the Niger Delta in particular and Nigeria in general in literary books and narratives often regaled by my teacher, Professor G.G Darah. Saro-Wiwa was charitable, compassionate, optimistic and radical. He was an accomplished writer, fearless scholar, profound columnist, democrat, multi-talented intellectual, intransigent critic, ebullient environmentalist, human rights activist, ideological rebel and other well earned sobriquets.

    He was born on October 10th of 1941 in the then sleepy Bori, River State as Kenule Beason Saro-Wiwa to the family of Chief Jim Wiwa. Ken Saro-Wiwa as he is often called was a child prodigy. He attended Government College, Umuahia, where he displayed academic wizardry and left with an excellent result. Next citadel for Ken Saro-Wiwa was at Ibadan, the University of Ibadan, where he bagged a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in English. Ken Saro-Wiwa had a brief stint at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) as a graduate assistant. Thereafter, he was employed as a civilian administrator for the port city of Bonny.

    As a man of regenerative ideas with the milk of patriotism, Ken Saro-Wiwa was first appointed as the Regional Commissioner for Education, River State in the early 1970s to use his ideas to revive the comatose education sector in the State. But his revolutionary ideas, thoughts, approaches and actions offended the ultimate ruler and that led to his dismissal in 1973! General Babaginda appointed him to his military government. But the restless radical Ken Saro-Wiwa resigned his appointment sensing the dictator’s witchraftcy and satanic intents not to relinquish state power.

    As earlier noted, Ken Saro-Wiwa was a writer, a prodigious writer who wrote works that empathise with the marginalised and wretched of the earth. Some of his works are satirical. From his fertile imagination includes works such as, Songs in a Time of war (1985), Sozaboy, a novel in Rotten English (1986), On a Darkling Plain: An Accounts of the Nigerian Civil War (1989), and Africa Kills Her Sun (1989) which only did not reflect the socio-political mood of the 1980s. His artistic works align with the great issues of local colonialism, the systematic plunder and the dispossession of the natural resources of the minority Niger Delta and the resultant social and environmental disasters which constitute the central themes in the literature and arts of the region. Saro-Wiwa’s last work of art aptly titled Africa Kills Her Sun foreshadowed his premature death in 1995, twenty-five years ago!

    It is now precisely twenty-five years since the environmentalist and activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa was judiciously murdered/hanged by the Nigerian state, yet the country has not quell dehumanizing and killing its helpless citizenry and depriving them the fundamental rights of good living. The daily experiences in Nigeria reflect how our beloved country has descended into a Hobbesian state of terror where life is short, nasty and brutish.

    Yes, the death of Saro-Wiwa and his eight patriots resulted in both local and global outrage. Saro-Wiwa and his compatriots died for the Niger Delta region whose history of resource agitation can be traced back to the 19th century, bearing in mind the tragic fates of heroes such as Jaja of Opobo, Nana Olumu of Itsekiri, Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi of Benin, Major Isaac Adaka Boro, Samuel Owonaru of which Saro-Wiwa belonged to this revered pantheon of revolutionaries.

    The Niger Delta region to which Ken Saro-Wiwa hailed from was edenic and pristine before it was rendered degraded and impoverished by the environmentally unfriendly activities of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Chevron, AGIP and other multinational oil companies with the unstinted support of the various Fulani Government of Nigeria (FGN) ruling oligarchy from the North for primitive greed which has and still reproduces both rural and urban poor.

    As the eco-activist, Sunny Awhefeada put it, what has become the “conflictual experience of the Niger Delta is also one of the consequences of the presence of Shell in the region. Having been born into an edenic ambience which Shell ruptured, a generation that was conscious of the company’s exploitative and destructive tendencies in contrast with the economic boom in Europe, came of age to halt the environmental holocaust. Ken Saro-Wiwa remains the arch representative of that generation. Saro-Wiwa, an acclaimed writer took on the role of an environmentalist struggling to remedy the degraded Niger Delta beginning with his native Ogoniland. The Nigerian state in cahoots with Shell spurn a web of intrigues which led to the execution of Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogonis in November 1995. By the time of Saro-Wiwa’s martyrdom, the indigenes of the region had come to a level of awareness that made them to kick”.

    For the federalist and public intellectual, Professor Darah, ” The martyrdom of Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni, the heavy casualties suffered by the Ijaw, the Ogbia, Engeni, Itsekiri and other nations of the Niger Delta testify to the currency of the resource control theme in Nigerian politics”.

    Suffice to say that, it is the resistance and relentless struggles and the demands for the reversal of the economic injustices against the people of the Niger Delta that have generated all the uprisings such as the Adaka Boro Revolution of February 1966, the Ogoni-Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) uprising of 1996, the death of 1000 innocent children and women of Jesse in pipeline fire disaster in September 1998, the Kaima Declaration by the militant Ijaw youths of 1998, the Niger Delta Volunteer Force (NDVF) led by Asari Dokubor in the early 21st century, the activities of the MEND led by Henry Okah and Tompolo of Gbaramatu in Delta State, the Greenland of Justice Movement of Isoko and Urhobo, the Odi massacre by Obasanjo’s soldiers in November 1999, the Bakassi boys and lately, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA). All these guerrilla movements arose from the positive determination of the people of the embattled and endangered Niger Delta region to broke the yoke of economic conquest imposed by the imperial Federal Government of Nigeria.

    True, some of the resistance movements have yielded some token of ameliorations. Notable among them is the 13% derivation recommended by the 1994/1995 National Conference convoked by the late dictator, General Sani Abacha which is enshrined in section 162 of the 1999 Constitution. The implementation of it suffered some setbacks as it was deliberately delayed by bogey called General Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo which led to the resource control agitation at the beginning of democratic rule 1999-2001.

    There is the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), an interventionist agency created in 2001 which is headquartered at PortHarcourt in Rivers State and, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA) in 2007 first headed by Chief Joseph Ekaete, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation during the Obasanjo tenure (1999-2007). These ameliorative measures put in place have slightly changed the condition of economic apartheid inflicted on the oil rich Niger Delta region by the avaricious exploiter, the Federal Government of Nigeria and made messed of thieving politicians.

    Also quite significant is the presidential amnesty programme put in place by the Yar’Adua/Jonathan’s administration in 2009. Of course, the uncompleted East-West Federal highway maybe be counted as one of the gains of the decades of bloody struggles.

    However, it is not yet UHURU as the people of the Niger Delta region anxiously awaits remediation and total cleaning of their environment despoiled by Shell and the implementation of the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference which deals with the many cases of injustices particularly the resource ownership and control and enhanced derivation principles, devolution of powers to both state and local government areas (LGAs) and the idea of state and Local Government policing system to curb crimes and insurgencies. These progressive matters are now advocated for under the umbrella term called RESTRUCTURING. For this how we make irreversible the ideals and cumulative gains of the revolution sustained by Ken Saro-Wiwa, and all the other revolutionaries departed…

     

     

    Oreh writes from Lagos State.

  • SERAP gives FG 7 days to disclose spending of recovered Abacha loot since 1999

    SERAP gives FG 7 days to disclose spending of recovered Abacha loot since 1999

    Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the Federal Government to “disclose within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of our Freedom of Information requests the exact amount of public funds stolen by a former military head of state, Sani Abacha and details of spending of about $5 billion recovered loot since the return of democracy in 1999.”

    SERAP is also asking the Federal Government to “disclose details of projects executed with the Abacha loot and their locations, details of companies and contractors involved in the execution of any such projects, details of all the agreements on the loot, the roles played by the World Bank and other actors, as well as the implementation status of all projects since 1999.”

    In two Freedom of Information requests sent to Mrs Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning and Mr Abukabar Malami, SAN, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, SERAP said: “We are concerned that substantial part of the estimated $5 billion returned Abacha loot since 1999 may have been diverted, re-stolen or mismanaged, and in any case remain unaccounted for.”

    In the FoI requests dated 14 February 2020 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “Publishing the details of projects on which Abacha loot has been spent would allow the public to know the specific projects carried and the areas of the country in which the projects have been implemented as well as the officials that may be responsible for any alleged diversion or mismanagement of the loot.”

    According to SERAP: “Getting to the root of the exact amount of the Abacha loot and how the returned funds have been spent is important for the success of the government’s fight against grand corruption and would reassure Nigerians that the government is truly committed to ensuring full accountability for the alleged corruption and mismanagement in the spending of the funds.”

    “Any failure or refusal to provide the information requested will be clearly inconsistent with the letter and spirit of the FoI Act. The accountability of government to the general public is a hallmark of modern democratic governance, a norm of human rights and a tool to curb corruption.”

    The FoI requests read, in part: “If we have not heard from you within 7 days as stated, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions under the FoI Act to compel you to comply with our request. Access to the details sought would allow Nigerians an opportunity to assess the impacts of any projects carried out with the funds.”

    “SERAP is concerned that the allegations of corruption and mismanagement involving the use of Abacha loot may be responsible for the increasing level of grand corruption over the years and the entrenched impunity of perpetrators.”

    “Publishing details of spending of Abacha loot by successive administrations would also ensure that persons with public responsibilities are answerable to the people for the performance of their duties including the management of Nigeria’s commonwealth.”

    “Transparency and accountability enable citizens to have a say about issues such as the spending of returned Abacha loot, that matter to them and a chance to monitor and influence how the funds are spent as well as hold those managing the funds to account in cases of diversion or mismanagement.”

    “The government ought to come up with an Abacha loot scoreboard to determine the exact amount stolen and the extent of transparency and accountability of the returned loot since 1999.”

    “If there is any indication that any of the recovered Abacha funds have been diverted, re-stolen or mismanaged, for such cases to be immediately referred to appropriate anti-corruption agencies for effective investigation, and prosecution if there is relevant admissible evidence.”

    “A scoreboard for the actual amount stolen and the spending of returned loot by each administration since 1999 would encourage more transparency and accountability and ensure that the funds reach the real victims of corruption as well as reduce concerns by Nigerians, the holding states and other partners about the returned loot being diverted, re-stolen or mismanaged.”

    “According to our information, a special panel set up on 23 July 1998 by the former head of state General Abdulsalami Abubakar to probe the late military dictator General Sani Abacha stated that he stole over $5 billion between 1993 and 1998 when he was in power. Much of the stolen public funds have been returned to Nigeria.”

    “The report by the panel shows that the government recovered some $635 million, £75 million, DM 30 million and N9 billion as well as several vehicles and properties in Abuja, Lagos and Kano together with 40% interests in West African Refinery in Sierra Leone. Other assets were recovered from the Abacha family and associates.”

    “Furthermore, former president Olusegun Obasanjo administration also reportedly recovered over $2 billion of Abacha loot. Mr Obasanjo would seem to confirm this fact when he stated in the second volume of his book titled My Watch that: ‘by the time I left office in May 2007, over $2 billion and £100 million had been recovered from the Abacha family abroad, and N10 billion in cash and properties locally.’”

    “Similarly, former president Goodluck Jonathan administration reportedly recovered $226.3 million and €7.5 Million from Liechtenstein. Some £22.5 million was also recovered from the Island of Jersey while $322 million and £5.5 million from the Abacha loot were reportedly returned to the government.”

    “The government of president Muhammadu Buhari has also recovered several millions of dollars of Abacha loot since assuming office in May 2015, including $321 million from Switzerland, and $300 million from the US and Jersey.”

    SERAP therefore urged the Federal Government to:

    1. Disclose the exact amounts stolen by Abacha, and the total amounts of the recovered loot and all agreements since the return of democracy in 1999;

    2. Disclose details of the projects executed with the funds, locations of any such projects and the names of companies and contractors that carried out the projects;

    3. Disclose details of specific roles played by the World Bank and other partners in the execution of any projects funded with Abacha loot since 1999;

    4. 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;

    5. 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

    “By Section 1 (1) of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act 2011, SERAP is entitled as of right to request for or gain access to information, including information on the exact amount stolen and spending of returned Abacha loot and related details.”