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Kenya Plans Return of $900 Million Abacha Loot to Nigeria, Reportedly Ties Conditions to Governance

A new, unverified report claims that the Kenyan government has announced plans to repatriate approximately $900 million in funds allegedly linked to the late Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha. According to the report, officials cited concerns over governance and have placed conditions on the release of the money.

The report, which began circulating on Thursday, states that Kenyan authorities intend to return the large sum to the Nigerian people. However, a government source is quoted as saying, "We are committed to returning the money to Nigerians, but not under an administration we believe cannot safeguard its proper use." This statement suggests a reluctance to release the funds to the current Nigerian federal government led by President Bola Tinubu.

Important Context and Background:

The report, if true, would mark the latest chapter in the decades-long saga of the Abacha loot. Sani Abacha, who ruled Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998, is believed to have embezzled between $3 to $5 billion from the Nigerian treasury. For nearly 30 years, the Nigerian government, with international help, has been recovering these funds from bank accounts and assets around the world, including in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Liechtenstein.

It is standard global practice for recovered funds to be returned to Nigeria under specific agreements that often involve monitored spending on public projects like infrastructure, health, and education. The reported conditionality from Kenya, while not unprecedented in international asset recovery, would be unusual if it is explicitly linked to a judgment on the current Nigerian administration's capacity.

Questions Remain

The report raises several immediate questions that cannot be verified at this time:

*   The specific location and legal pathway for such a large, previously unreported tranche of funds in Kenya.
*   The authenticity of the official statements and the status of any formal diplomatic communication between Kenya and Nigeria.
*   Whether this represents a new discovery of Abacha-linked assets or pertains to funds that have been frozen for some time.

As of the time of writing, there has been no official confirmation of this development from the governments of Kenya, Nigeria, or international bodies like the World Bank, which often facilitates such returns. The Nigerian Ministry of Finance and the Attorney-General's office have not issued statements.

Given the scale of the claimed amount and the political implications, the report will likely prompt official inquiries. It is essential to treat this information as preliminary until confirmed by credible government or multilateral sources.

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