By TINA TIMOTHY

International human rights lawyer, Emmanuel Ogebe, has asked the United Kingdom (UK) to use the huge sum of money looted by Nigeria’s former Military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, which it planned to return to the country, for victims of 2020 SARS and other vulnerable citizens.

In a recent letter to the UK High Commissioner in Nigeria, Catriona Laing, the Washington-based lawyer said it is “a matter of grave concern to me as it pertains to US-UK-Nigeria affairs” adding that “this offends against every notion of propriety, justice, fairness and common decency, especially for victims of Gen. Abacha’s evil rule – thousands of whom were exiled to UK and US.”

In his words, “Though our scheduled meeting with a visiting UK humanitarian delegation didn’t hold in Nigeria in February, I am taking the extraordinary step of writing to you directly concerning a matter of grave concern to me as it pertains to US-UK-Nigeria affairs.

“The US has plans to turn over millions of Euros, in infamous Abacha loot originally frozen in UK, to the family that helped launder it abroad.

“This offends against every notion of propriety, justice, fairness and common decency especially for victims of Gen. Abacha’s evil rule – thousands of whom were exiled to UK and US.

“I would suggest much rather that some of these funds should go to such victims and, especially as we mark the second anniversary of the dreadful #EndSARs Lekki massacre of October 20, 2020, recent victims of that as well.”

Ogebe also said that following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, repercussions of colonial rule has come to the limelight and the UK has also been indicted in training Nigeria’s SARS “that have been culpable in horrific contemporary human rights abuses,” one of which is the #EndSARs massacres of 2020.

Continuing, he said: “As you know, the historical colonial legacy of UK has come under global scrutiny following the recent demise of your revered monarch. Much as there is much to be said for colonial rule’s repercussions in some of Nigeria’s present political doldrums, the fact is that the #EndSARs massacres of 2020 by the Buhari regime exceeded the colonial era atrocities of the Aba women’s riot or the Labour protest killings in their mindless horror.

“That said, UK did train the SARS that have been culpable in horrific contemporary human rights abuses. I urge therefore that the UK recommend that €1,000,000 each be given for distribution as compensation to victims identified by the various Judicial Commissions of Inquiry across each of the states of Nigeria.”

The human rights lawyer further referred to a reported success story by Harry Cassin in June 27, 2022, of a UK aid project with forfeiture assets when looted funds from two Chad diplomats were used to provide ‘life-saving support’ to 150,000 vulnerable people, urging the UK to take a similar step rather than repatriating the money “through the corrupt conduit of the Nigerian government and the for-profit NGO industrial complex,” adding that “providing €36 million to SARS victims, to supplement and support compensation provided by Nigeria’s states, would be a welcome idea.”

“In addition to that,” Ogebe said, “I am pleased to learn about the reported success story of a UK aid project with forfeiture assets:

“In 2018, the UK Serious Fraud Office recovered £4.4 million ($6.2 million) from two Chad diplomats who took bribes from Canadian oil company Griffiths Energy in the U.S and Canada. The recovered money was transferred to Chad and used in aid and development programs. What was the money used for and did it make a difference?

“At the time of the settlement, the SFO said the funds would be transferred to the Department for International Development (DFID), which would identify key projects to invest in that would benefit the poorest people in Chad.

“It was the first time in the UK that money was returned overseas through a civil recovery case.

“What was the result?

“In a November 2021 report, UK Minister for Africa, Vicky Ford, said the returned proceeds of corruption have provided ‘life-saving support to more than 150,000 vulnerable people in Chad.

“It’s astonishing that 150,000 people had improved access to food, medicine, and disease treatment from what – by our industry’s scale – was a pocket-change settlement.

“As far as we know, the UK was the only country to deploy any of the settlement to foreign aid. It wasn’t the first time, either. The SFO used money from a confiscation order against executives at Smith & Ouzman convicted of bribery in 2016 to buy seven new ambulances in Kenya.

“The United Kingdom and SFO’s approach could be a three-step model for others to follow:

“Confiscate profits from corrupt deals.

“Coordinate with outside and well established aid organizations.

“Track and report progress publicly.

“If you wanted to market it: Confiscate, Coordinate, Celebrate.”

“I look forward to seeing a similar replication in direct demonstrable development assistance to the Nigerian people with these funds rather than through the corrupt conduit of the Nigerian government and the for-profit NGO industrial complex.”

“I note that you recently visited Gov Bagudu. With him as Deputy Interim Head of the Governor’s Forum, it is hoped that providing €36 million to SARS victims, to supplement and support compensation provided by Nigeria’s states, would be a welcome idea,” Ogebe added.

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