The Nigerian presidency has announced that France is set to return the $150 million that was embezzled by the former Nigerian military head of state, General Sani Abacha. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, made this announcement in a statement on Friday, and President Bola Tinubu expressed his appreciation for France’s decision.
While receiving the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, Catherine Colonna, President Tinubu praised the deepening of bilateral relations between Nigeria and France. He thanked France for their cooperation in facilitating the return of the Abacha funds and emphasized that the recovered money would be used wisely to achieve Nigeria’s development goals.
President Tinubu also welcomed the increased collaboration between the two nations in various areas of mutual interest, including climate change, economic integration, education, and culture. Furthermore, he acknowledged the signing of a €100 million agreement between Nigeria and France to support the i-DICE program, which is a Federal Government initiative aimed at promoting investments in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and the Creative Arts Industries.
Regarding the Abacha loot, the French Presidential Envoy noted that the repatriation had followed the completion of legal processes and expressed satisfaction that the lengthy legal procedure had ultimately yielded a positive outcome.