There were also announcements of visa restrictions for state actors who rigged previous elections in Nigeria. 

President of the Center for Leadership and Justice, Barrister Emmanuel Umohinyang, says the U.S. and UK are just being clever by half with their declarations.

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"While we admit that our friends in the west are here to help us grow our democracy, it is hypocritical of these two countries to continue to create an impression that it is only by election rigging that things are turned upside down in our country," he said.

Umohinyang says the west should be more worried about the wanton looting of Nigeria and the stashing of such funds abroad or in offshore accounts.

“When you put visa ban on politicians who rig, that’s good. But how do you then justify keeping your backyard as a place for warehousing looted funds?

“They should also place bans on those who steal our common patrimony and warehouse in their country. I expect the American government that is in custody of our several millions of dollars stolen by politicians, to wield the big stick. 

“So, you want to place a visa ban on election riggers, but you are comfortable with keeping looted funds of these same politicians in your country?!

“We had a situation in the recent past, where a certain former Prime Minister of the British referred to Nigeria as fantastically corrupt. He was saying this when the Ghana-Must-Go bag of looted funds was just behind him, kept by Nigerian politicians.

“So, it is hypocritical of them to continue to throw this at us, when the real thing is with them. They should place visa ban on anybody that steals a kobo from Nigeria and not just on election rigging.

"We should go beyond election rigging and begin to tell politicians that the era where you steal and go free is over. I agree that visa ban could send some message, but it is not enough. 

“Election is naturally an internal politics of a country, but it is okay if you decide to use an instrument of visa, which is their right on who they give their visa to. But we are saying that you must go beyond this. We have several billions of dollars in these countries. They are making monies from it, interests are being drawn from the monies. 

“Even when they choose to return these monies, they do so with huge conditions, as though you are giving us loans. So, we must begin to tell these countries that yes, we appreciate the visa ban on riggers, but we’ll be more comfortable if you can place this visa ban on those who have stolen our common patrimony. And I think that’s the way to go,” the lawyer added.

The United States recently repatriated $311 million Sani Abacha loot to Nigeria. There have been a host of such restitutions to Nigeria in the last decade.