The United States Department of Justice says the Federal Government led by the President, Maj.Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), is blocking attempts to recover Abacha loot traced to Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu.
The DoJ made the claim in court papers filed before the District Court for the District of Columbia in Washington, Bloomberg reports.
The PUNCH reports that Bagudu, who is a close ally of Buhari and a prominent member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, was indicted by the US Government for helping the late military dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha, to transfer billions of dollars in the mid-90s.
According to documents from the DoJ, Bagudu spent six months in federal detention in Texas while awaiting extradition to the Island of Jersey.
However, before he was handed over to criminal trial in Jersey, he quickly agreed to return $163m to Nigeria and was released on bond to Nigeria, where he was meant to be prosecuted for money laundering.
However, on returning to Nigeria, he was cleared to contest in three different election cycles – once as a senator and twice as governor – all of which he won and now enjoys immunity.