Abacha Loot: FG Disowns US-Based Lawyer

The Federal Government, yesterday, disowned a United States-based Nigerian lawyer, Nnaka Godson, who is laying claim to 40 per cent of the $550 million (N218.3 billion) of the late military head of state, Sani Abacha loot, which the United States Government has concluded plans to return to Nigeria.
The Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, in a 44-page document made available to newsmen, yesterday, described Nnaka as a man trying to reap from where he did not sow.
Malami said the Federal Government would not pay Nnaka the huge amount he is asking for since he was not qualified to practise law in the Maryland area where the case is taking place.
He added that Nnaka also did not recover any money for the country 14 years after the former Attorney General of the Federation, Olujimi, gave him a provisional letter to help locate and recover the Abacha loot.
The court has also held that since the temporary letter given to Nnaka by Olujimi was not revalidated by Mohammed Adoke when the forfeiture case resumed in 2013, the lawyer could, therefore, not claim to be representing Nigeria.
But Nnaka has appealed against the ruling, and threatened to sue Malami for saying that he was not qualified to represent Nigeria, and also not entitled to 40 per cent of the Abacha loot. The litany of cases filed by Nnaka and the appeal by the US Department of Justice in conjunction with Nigeria, are said to be delaying the repatriation of the huge cash to Nigeria.