Switzerland to release Abacha funds to Nigeria
Switzerland has agreed to hand over to Nigeria $66 million (SFr110 million) from bank accounts linked to the former dictator, Sani Abacha.
The amount to be returned comes from $670 million in accounts frozen by the Swiss authorities in response to the Nigerian government’s search for funds stashed abroad by Abacha, his relatives and associates.
Abacha is accused by Nigeria of systematically pillaging the Nigerian central bank during his five-year rule, which ended in June 1998 when he died of a reported heart attack.
His democratically elected successor, Olusegun Obasanjo, said the total funds sent abroad could total $3 billion.
Along with Switzerland, Luxembourg has blocked $600 million in accounts thought to be linked to Abacha. Liechtenstein and Britain say they have also frozen accounts suspected of belonging to Abacha.
The Nigerian government claims Abacha also had accounts in Belgium, Germany and France.
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