The Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria, has asked the country’s authorities to provide details on the use of the recovered millions of dollars embezzled by former President Sani Abacha.
The verdict, handed down last week, requires a detailed report on the reinstated money that was embezzled by former leader Sani Abacha. The court asked for precise information about the amounts returned to Nigeria, and how they were used.
Judge James Kolawole Omotosho insisted on details of “the projects financed with these funds, their location across the country, and the names of the companies and contractors associated with these projects”. He also demanded information on the specific role played by partners such as the World Bank and other entities in the implementation of these projects.
The court, hearing a case brought by the NGO Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), which campaigns for transparency in public management, ruled that the organization’s request concerning the use of the funds was “meritorious.” Consequently, Justice Omotosho ordered the Ministry of Finance to provide this information within seven days of his ruling.
The Ministry of Finance, which had argued before the court that it had no interest in allowing SERAP access to this information, suffered a major setback.