The Nigerian Government has expressed the commitment to the implementation of the 2020 Tripartite Agreement on Recovered looted assets.
The country’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN, made the commitment during the public engagement on the Monitoring and Use of International Recovered Assets and the launch of the Civil Society Organisation’s website held in Abuja, Nigeria’s Capital.
The public engagement session was in line with the 2020 Tripartite Agreement under which the Federal Ministry of Justice, Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), the Monitoring Civil Society Organization (CSO), and the CLEEN Foundation are expected to carry out various obligations in the utilisation of the recovered assets.
The CSOs are responsible for the monitoring of the implementation of the 2020 Tripartite Agreement signed by the Nigerian government, the United States of America and the Bailiwick of Jersey.
The Minister, represented by the Director of Public Prosecution and Prosecutor General, Abubakar Dokko said: “The President’s clarion call and the global engagement by the Federal Ministry of Justice led to the signing of an Asset Return Agreement with Switzerland and the World Bank for the return of 322 Million dollars in 2017.
”This programme is now subsumed under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development; and to ensure transparency, the World Bank was made to provide additional oversight over the use of the funds.”
Recall that, in 2020, Nigeria recorded success with the execution of another Asset Return Agreement with the U.S. and the Bailiwick of Jersey for the return of over 311 Million dollars.
The money was channelled to the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) projects such as the Lagos Ibadan Express Way, Abuja-Kano Road and the Second Niger Bridge under the management of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).
The Representative of United Nations office on Drugs and Crime UNODC Mr Oliver Stolpe and British High Commission promised support to the Nigerian government towards ensuring judicious use of the returned looted assets for the benefits of Nigerians.
