NGOs demand guarantees over return of Abacha millions

The millions siphoned off by the family of Nigeria’s former dictator Sani Abacha and confiscated by Switzerland must be returned to the Nigerian people in full transparency, a coalition of non-governmental groups has declared.  In an open letter published on Monday, a coalition of Swiss and Nigerian NGOs has urged the authorities of both countries to reach an agreement for the restitution of CHF321 million ($321 million) frozen by the Swiss authorities, which “improves the living conditions of the Nigerian population”.  They say the funds must be allocated to “projects of public interest” in a transparent process involving Swiss and Nigerian NGOs, and paid in instalments over time, with close monitoring by the World Bank and independent auditors.  Nigeria has long been chasing funds taken by the Abacha clan while Sani Abacha was in power from 1994-1998. Overall, the Abacha clan is thought to have diverted a total of about $5 billion from the Nigerian treasury. Much ...