Buhari secretly pays lawyers $15million for Abacha loot recovery

The Muhammadu Buhari led federal government has secretly paid two Nigerian lawyers, namely Oladipo Okpeseyi and Temitope Adebayo, the sum of $15million for the return of $321 million Abacha loot stashed in Swiss banks, TheCable reports.

The subject of the payment of the sum to the lawyers has been shrouded in controversy because the federal government had previously engaged the services of Enrico Monfrini, a Swiss lawyer, in 1999 to help trace, identify, freeze and recover all looted funds linked to the late General Sani Abacha.

Hiring the two Nigerian lawyers has always been seen as a duplication of duties by persons in the know; and a move by unnamed top government officials to make some money for themselves from the repatriation.

AGF Malami hired the lawyers against popular advice

Abacha was Nigeria’s military ruler from 1993 to 1998 and reportedly stashed most of his loot in Swiss banks.

Upon the return of democracy to Nigeria in 1999, diplomatic efforts commenced for the repatriation of the stolen monies.

General Sani Abacha reportedly stole Nigeria blind (TELL Magazine) ece-auto-gen

TheCable reports that Nigeria’s Attorney General, Abubakar Malami, went against commonsense advice and engaged Okpeseyi and Adebayo even though Monfrini’s efforts would have led to the return of the $321m to Nigeria eventually.

The role of a popular Lagos pastor

The lawyers were going to be paid $17 million, but the sum was cut by $2 million and paid, following pressure from a very popular Lagos-based pastor who is a political associate of President Muhammadu Buhari, TheCable writes.

TheCable report states that “After seven years of work, including investigations and litigation across various countries, Monfrini had traced and recovered $321 million from Luxemborg banks.

"The funds were domiciled with the government of Switzerland in 2014 pending a final request for transfer from Nigeria.

"Monfrini and other lawyers involved had also been paid their fees, with the Swiss getting about $12 million.

"However, Malami, rather than write directly to the Swiss authorities to seek the transfer of the funds to Nigeria, engaged Okpeseyi and Adebayo for the purpose.

Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (Punch) ece-auto-gen

"They have now been paid $15 million as “professional fees” for writing the letter — more than the Swiss lawyer who traced and recovered the funds over a period of seven years.

"Okpeseyi and Adebayo were both members of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the party founded by Buhari to contest in the 2011 presidential election. Malami was the legal adviser to the party”.

Duplication of duties

Monfrini repeatedly told TheCable that the engagement of new lawyers by the federal government was needless and a waste of taxpayer funds as he already completed the recovery job.

The Swiss lawyer added that all that was left was for Malami to “write a letter to the Geneva attorney-general or the government of Switzerland requesting the money to be paid back to Nigeria".

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo arrives Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire to attend the West African Energy Leaders’ summit (Presidency) ece-auto-gen

The report also states that Kemi Adeosun, Nigeria’s former minister of finance, came under intense pressure to approve the payment of the money to the lawyers.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, TheCable reports, also queried the request for payment during one of his stints as acting president, and had summoned Malami to his office for an explanation.

TheCable reports that the office of the Attorney General has refused to grant a Freedom Of Information request tendered since December 8, 2017, “as against the demands of the FOI act (2011) that such request should be answered in seven days of receipt”.