Re- Abdulsalami Abubakar: Abacha never looted treasury

According to General Abubakar, what is usually referred to as Abacha loot was money the former head of state had saved for the country, following advice from former Libyan Leader, Muammar Gaddafi; former Benin Republic President, Mathieu Kérékou and others, in order for the country not to be financially handicapped in case of freezing of the nation’s accounts arising from sanctions from the international community.

For the avoidance of doubt, section 1 of the Forfeiture Decree stipulates that the various sums of money and properties listed in parts 1 and 2 of the Schedule were “acquired corruptly and illegally” by General Abacha and his cronies and were forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria “free from all encumbrances without any further assurance other than this Decree.” It is crystal clear that General Abubakar, out of sheer class solidarity, has turned round to claim, rather falsely that the Abacha loot was money saved for the Government of Nigeria.