A princely $321 million loot by late Head of State Sani Abacha which the Switzerland Government insists it has returned to the Nigerian Government cannot be traced.
The Lagos-based Daily Sun, which tried to trace the money, reported: “While the Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, Chad, Niger and the Economic Community of West African States, Eric Mayoraz, said his government has returned the money, the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, said the Muhammadu Buhari-led government has no information about the return of the said $321 million by the Government of Switzerland.”
The paper quoted the ambassador, who spoke exclusively with it in Abuja, as insisting that the money has been deposited in the Nigerian account with the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland.
He directed the reporter to find out from the Minister of Finance, Adeosun, where the money actually is.
“The money has been put on a bank account of Nigeria at the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, but it belongs to Nigeria. And now, it is in the process of being put on the national bank account here in Nigeria.
“But you should ask the Minister of Finance where the money actually is because it is not anymore in Swiss hands, it is in Nigerian hands since the beginning of this year,” the paper quoted Mayoraz as saying.
But Adeosun who spoke through her Special Adviser on Media, Oluyinka Akintunde, reportedly told the Sun that she had no knowledge of the return of the money recovered from the late former military head of state, Gen. Sani Abacha.
“I don’t have any information with respect to the return of $321m Abacha loot by Switzerland,” she told the paper.