Alex Enumah in Abuja
Rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana, has taking on former military head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, for attempting to dismiss corruption allegations against former military head of state, the late General Sani Abacha.
Abubakar had in an interview published by the Sun newspaper of June 26, 2026, explained that the late General Sani Abacha, never stole money belonging to the country.
The ex-general had in the interview stated that 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.
Responding, the senior lawyer who accused the former head of state “belatedly” joining “the dubious campaign to sanitise the ignominous Abacha era”, argued that although Presidents Gaddafi and Kerekou are no longer alive to confirm or deny the claim, they could not have advised General Abacha to engage in the “reckless looting of the nation’s treasury”.
Further accusing the retired general of attempting to rewrite history in a rather untidy manner, Falana stated that General Abubakar did not believe the story that General Abacha had saved any money for the country, as he had July 23, 1998, as head of state instituted a Special Investigation Panel (SIP) with the sole mandate to investigate the looting and corruption that characterised the Abacha era.
“In the course of the investigation, the SIP headed by Mr. Peter Gana, a Deputy Commissioner of Police unravelled the gargantuan Abacha loot with the connivance of the management of the Central Bank of Nigeria. A large quantity of the cash and properties were recovered by the SIP.
“In its report published in November 1998, the SIP revealed that General Abacha approved several fake funding requests for security operations or purchase of equipment by his National Security Adviser (NSA). Upon approval of the fraudulent funding requests, General Abacha directed the Central Bank to release cash in dollars and pounds. The cash was then handed over to the NSA who ensured that the cash was transferred to family members and business associates of General Abacha. It was also confirmed that many properties in many cities were bought with the stolen funds.
“General Abubakar accepted the report in toto and promptly acted on it. In particular, he promulgated and signed the Forfeiture of Assets, Etc. (Certain Persons) Decree No. 53 of 1999, which legitimised the forfeiture and return of the Abacha loot located in Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
“Pursuant to the decree, General Abacha, family members, political associates and political allies were made to forfeit the total sum of $636, 263,187,19, £75, 306 886.93, DM 30m and N547 million as well as 30 percent shares in 2 refineries in Sierra Leone worth $380,000. Also forfeited were several properties in the choice areas in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Zaria and very expensive official vehicles that had been converted to illegal use by Abacha’s aides”, Falana stated.
According to Falana, the retired general must have forgotten that he was the first ruler to indict, name and shame General Abacha for the large scale looting of the treasury.
“To that extent, the former military ruler deliberately set out to mislead Nigerians to believe that the Abacha loot is a hoax. But having recovered funds and assets worth over $750 million from the estate of the late dictator, his family members and associates, General Abubakar cannot be permitted to cover up the grand larceny of his predecessor”, he added.
The rights activist lamented 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”.
He argued that 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 also said that the ex-head of state should step down as the Chairman of the National Peace Committee set up to mediate political tensions and organise peace accords for Nigerian elections.
“Finally, we are compelled to attach a copy of the Forfeiture Decree No 53 of 1999 promulgated and signed by General Abdulsalami Abubakar on May 26, 1999 which listed the funds and properties “acquired corruptly and illegally” by General Abacha, his family members and business associates. In addition, the decree has exposed the barefaced lie that the Abacha loot was money saved for the Government of Nigeria”, Falana added.