The National Crime Agency (NCA) of the United Kingdom has announced the recovery of about $23.5 million in looted funds from the allies and family of a former Nigerian dictator, the late Sani Abacha.
According to a statement posted on the website of the UK crime agency on Thursday, the funds were retrieved as part of a wider pool of funds identified by the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) as having been stolen out of Nigeria in the 1990s by Abacha and his accomplices.
The NCA said the looted funds were recovered after the USDOJ requested enforcement of the U.S. forfeiture order relating to the seized monies after nearly seven years of litigation and international negotiations to secure the recovery order.
It said the funds have now been transferred to the Home Office of the UK for onward transmission to the USDOJ.
Asset Denial Senior Manager at the NCA, Billy Beattie, said the civil recovery of assets is a powerful weapon in the fight against corruption.
The official also added that the NCA is committed to ensuring that the UK is not a haven for criminals to launder their proceeds of crime.
Beattie said, “The NCA is committed to ensuring that the UK is not a haven for criminals to launder their proceeds of crime, and the civil recovery of assets is a powerful weapon in this fight.
“We work closely with the UK and international partners to tackle the threat posed by corruption, which disproportionately impacts the poorest and most vulnerable members of society.
“We are committed to ensuring that those who perpetrate corruption do not benefit from their actions.”