Nigeria Gets Back $150 Million Abacha Loot From France

(iexclusivenews) – Nigeria has received a huge boost in its fight against corruption as France has returned $150 million that was stolen by former military dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha, who ruled the country from 1993 to 1998.

The news of the repatriation was delivered by Catherine Colonna, the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, who paid a courtesy visit to President Bola Tinubu in Abuja on Friday.

President Tinubu expressed his gratitude to France for its effective cooperation in recovering the looted funds, which he said would be used for the development of the country.

“Thank you for the good news on the return of Abacha loot. We appreciate your effective cooperation concerning the return of Nigeria’s money. It will be judiciously applied in attaining our development objectives,” the President said.

The French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs said the repatriation was a long and complex process, but she was glad that it was finally concluded. She said that the French president, Emmanuel Macron, was happy that justice was done in the end.

“It was a long process, but we are glad that it was concluded. Sometimes, justice may be slow, but this is a very good achievement,” she said.

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Nigeria and France Sign €100 Million Agreement for i-DICE Program

In addition to the return of the Abacha loot, Nigeria and France also signed a €100 million agreement to support the i-DICE program, which is a Federal Government initiative to promote investment in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Creative Arts Industries.

The agreement was signed by Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Technology, and Colonna, during an event in Abuja.

President Tinubu praised the deepening bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and France, noting that it had improved since his official visit to Paris shortly after his inauguration.

He said that the i-DICE program would create jobs, enhance skills, and foster innovation in the ICT and creative sectors of the economy.

“The i-DICE program is a strategic partnership between Nigeria and France to harness the potential of our young and talented people in the fields of ICT and creative arts. This program will create opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship, and innovation in these sectors, which are vital for the digital transformation of our country,” the President said.

Nigeria Leads ECOWAS Efforts to Restore Constitutional Order in Niger Republic

President Tinubu, who is also the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, assured the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs that Nigeria was closely monitoring the situation in Niger Republic and was using all possible diplomatic channels to avoid bloodshed and restore constitutional order.

He said that Nigeria was concerned about the safety and well-being of President Mohamed Bazoum, who was democratically elected in February but has been under house arrest since a failed coup attempt by a faction of the military on April 1.

“Leadership is about responding to the needs of the people; their cries, and their frustrations. Nigeria shares a border with Niger across the expanse of seven Nigerian states, and most of these states are very populated. Therefore, I need to guide ECOWAS carefully and steadily so that we manage our anger carefully.

”We have a colleague and a democratically-elected leader, President Bazoum, being used as a human shield. If we are not careful, he and his family could be endangered.

”I am deploying all appropriate back-channel strategies to avoid bloodshed in Niger Republic. We recognize the wishes of our people; they do not want war, but that does not mean we can not take bold and decisive action,” the President said.

Colonna commended President Tinubu’s leadership in ECOWAS, saying that France supported his efforts to uphold constitutional order and democracy in the region.

“We support your efforts at ECOWAS. We are behind you because we believe that constitutional order is a treasure for all countries, and democracy must be a reality,” she said.