Abacha son told to return loot
2002-07-26 14:44
Lagos - Nigeria has demanded the return of $402 million in looted state funds from the son of late military ruler Sani Abacha before his release from jail, his lawyer said on Friday.
Mohammed Abacha was granted bail on Wednesday by an Abuja high
court pending his trial on 111 counts of corruption and theft. The late dictator's son had earlier been acquitted on a murder charge by the country's Supreme Court.
Abacha's lawyer Yunus Usman told reporters his client had met
all conditions for bail by the high court, except the refund of $402 million to the Nigerian government.
He said the government is insisting that unless the junior
Abacha pays back the money, he will not be freed from jail.
The outstanding amount demanded by the court is the balance of
$1.202 billion the Abacha family had agreed to return to the
state during the regime of military ruler Abdulsalami Abubakar, who succeeded the dictator after his death in June 1998.
The family was in all said to have reimbursed $800 million
to the government out of several billion dollars allegedly looted during Abacha's regime, which lasted for almost five years.
The government of President Olusegun Obasanjo is currently
seeking to recover more than $3 billion from the Abacha family.
The family has been expecting the release of Mohammed since the Supreme Court ruling and the bail granted by the high court.
Security was tightened Thursday in Kano, the northern town where Abacha has his home on Thursday as relatives, friends and residents awaited the return of the ex-dictator son.
Armed soldiers and policemen were deployed in many parts of the city to prevent any breakdown of law an order. - Sapa-AFP
- SAPA