Falana Asks Abdulsalami To Apologise, Quit National Peace Committee Over Claim Abacha Never Looted Nigeria
Falana Asks Abdulsalami To Apologise, Quit National Peace Committee Over Claim Abacha Never Looted Nigeria
In a statement titled “Re: Abdulsalami Abubakar: Abacha Never Looted Treasury,” Falana argued that Abubakar’s remarks contradicted the actions his own administration took after succeeding Abacha in 1998.
Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has criticised former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), over his recent claim that the late military ruler, General Sani Abacha, did not loot Nigeria’s treasury, describing the assertion as an attempt to rewrite history.
In a statement titled “Re: Abdulsalami Abubakar: Abacha Never Looted Treasury,” Falana argued that Abubakar’s remarks contradicted the actions his own administration took after succeeding Abacha in 1998.
Abubakar, in an interview published by The Sun newspaper on June 20, 2026, had claimed that what is commonly referred to as the “Abacha loot” was not stolen public funds but money deliberately set aside for Nigeria on the advice of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, former Benin Republic President Mathieu Kérékou and others to safeguard the country against possible international sanctions.
Rejecting the explanation, Falana said, “General Abdulsalami Abubakar has belatedly joined the dubious campaign to sanitise the ignominous Abacha era.”
He added that, “General Abubakar attempted to rewrite history in a rather untidy manner when he claimed that the much talked about Abacha loot is a hoax, saying that the former military head of state, the late General Sani Abacha, never stole money belonging to the country.”
Falana argued that neither Gaddafi nor Kérékou could have advised Abacha to loot Nigeria’s treasury.
According to him, Abubakar himself did not believe such claims when he assumed office because his government established a Special Investigation Panel (SIP) on July 23, 1998, to investigate alleged corruption during the Abacha regime.
The panel, headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police Peter Gana, reportedly uncovered large-scale diversion of public funds with the involvement of officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Falana said the panel found that Abacha approved fictitious security funding requests submitted by the National Security Adviser, after which the Central Bank released cash in foreign currencies that was allegedly transferred to Abacha’s family members and business associates.
The investigation also reportedly linked numerous properties acquired in Nigeria to the diverted funds.
According to Falana, Abubakar accepted the panel’s findings and subsequently promulgated the Forfeiture of Assets, Etc. (Certain Persons) Decree No. 53 of 1999, which authorised the forfeiture of assets allegedly acquired illegally by Abacha, his family members and associates.
He noted that the decree led to the forfeiture of $636.3 million, £75.3 million, 30 million Deutsche Marks, N547 million, shares in two Sierra Leonean refineries valued at about $380,000, as well as numerous properties and luxury vehicles.
Falana stressed that the decree expressly stated that the assets were “acquired corruptly and illegally” and forfeited to the Federal Government.
Responding to Abubakar’s claim that some of the funds were used to purchase Tata vehicles for security agencies, Falana dismissed the explanation.
He said, “Contrary to General Abubakar’s false narrative, Mr. Raj Bhojwani, a business associate of the former dictator, General Sani Abacha, was convicted and jailed in the High Court of Jersey for money laundering. He was ordered to forfeit $45 million to the Nigerian Government.”
Falana also recalled that successive administrations recovered billions of dollars linked to Abacha.
He recalled that former President Olusegun Obasanjo engaged Swiss lawyer Enrico Monfrini to trace assets abroad, resulting in the recovery of over $1.2 billion, while subsequent administrations under Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari also recovered substantial amounts.
He noted that France announced in 2023 that it would return $150 million in Abacha-linked assets to Nigeria for development projects.
Falana further argued that in legal proceedings across Nigeria, Switzerland, France, the United States, the United Kingdom and Jersey, no party ever claimed the recovered funds had been legitimately saved on behalf of the Nigerian government.
“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,” Falana said.
He urged the former military ruler to withdraw the remarks and apologise to Nigerians.
“General Abubakar should apologise to Nigerians and withdraw the statement that the Abacha loot is a hoax,” Falana said.
He also called on Abubakar to resign as Chairman of the National Peace Committee, arguing that his recent comments had undermined his credibility.
He said, “To avoid the Abacha loot from being re-looted by local corrupt officials, the Buhari administration agreed with the Swiss Government to invest the recovered loot in development projects monitored by credible NGOs.
“It is pertinent to note that in all the court cases that were instituted in Nigeria, Switzerland, France, United States, United Kingdom, Jersey etc, no person or institution ever pleaded that the Abacha loot was kept for the Federal Government of Nigeria. Indeed, family members of the late dictator and his business allies attempted but failed to claim that the funds belong to them.
“One of the cases is currently pending in the United States where a serving minister in Nigeria is laying claim to the sum of $130 million recovered from the Abacha loot.
“It is interesting to note that the recovery of the Abacha loot remains an unfinished business. In fact, sometime in November 2023, France’s Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mrs Catherine Colonna, said $150 million found to have been looted by Abacha would be repatriated to Nigeria. She said: ‘I also informed President (Bola) Tinubu that, in response to the request submitted by the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Justice and in agreement with the US Administration, France will return to Nigeria the assets stolen from the Nigerian people by General Sani Abacha and his family that have been frozen in France since 2021.’
“France however stated that the $150 million on the condition that it will be earmarked for ‘development projects benefiting the population, according to the priorities of the Nigerian government.”
“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. But having promulgated and signed the Forfeiture Decree No 53 of 1999 which legalised the forfeiture of the Abacha loot, General Abubakar should apologise to Nigerians and withdraw the statement that the Abacha loot is a hoax,” he said.
“In addition, the retired military ruler should step down as the Chairman of the National Peace Committee set up to mediate political tensions and organise peace accords for Nigerian elections.”
