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Abacha loot put at US $4.3 billion

    ABIDJAN

    Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo said former military ruler General Sani Abacha stole some US $4.3 billion from the treasury and he restated his determination to recover all looted funds, 'The Guardian' said on Tuesday.

    Obasanjo, who began an official visit to France on Sunday, told reporters in Paris that the Abacha family directly siphoned some US $2.3 billion from the treasury, while another US $1 billion went into contracts which either did not exist or were inappropriately awarded to members of the family and their friends. These contracts were badly executed or not done
    at all, the daily added.

    Nigeria recently filed a formal application to the Swiss government to recover more than US $550 million dollars frozen in bank accounts linked to the former military ruler.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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