Court in Nigeria tells government to account for recovered Abacha loot

A Nigerian court has directed President Bola Tinubu's government to disclose how much in stolen funds it has recovered from late military ruler Sani Abacha and how the money was used, court documents showed on Sunday.

Abacha ruled Africa's most populous nation and top oil exporter from 1993 until his death in 1998, during which time Transparency International estimated that he took up to $5 billion of public money. He was never charged.

A Nigerian rights group asked the High Court in the federal capital Abuja to force the government to account for Abacha's loot since the country returned to civilian rule in 1999.

Over the years, the United States, Switzerland and British dependency of Jersey are among those who have returned hundreds of millions of dollars linked to Abacha.

The court ruled that the government should disclose the "exact amount of money stolen by General Sani Abacha from Nigeria and the total amount of Abacha loot recovered and all agreements signed on same since the return of democracy in 1999 till date."

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), which brought the challenge, said it had on Sunday written to Tinubu calling on him to obey the ruling.

Tinubu's spokesman Dele Alake did not respond to calls and messages seeking comment.

Nigeria has previously said it would use some of the Abacha funds for infrastructure projects, including roads and bridges.

By Camillus Eboh, Reuters

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Attack by Gunmen on Village leaves 24 villagers dead in Nigeria

Gunmen killed 24 villagers in a remote part of north-central Nigeria, authorities said on Sunday, raising further concerns about the West African nation’s ongoing security challenges.

The gunmen arrived at the Akpuuna village in Benue state’s Ukum district on Saturday, shooting dead the villagers before escaping the area, according to Tersoo Kula, the spokesman for Benue state's governor.

Police blamed the attack on a “militia gang,” a common reference to armed groups in Nigeria’s hard-hit northwest and central regions where armed violence has claimed the lives of thousands in the last year.

Catherine Anene, police spokeswoman in Benue, said eight bodies were retrieved from the scene. Local officials, including legislator Ezra Nyiyongo, said there were at least 24 killed and several others injured.

“I lack words to express my shock and sympathy to the families of the lost ones,” said Nyiyongo as he published the names of those killed.

Benue Gov. Hyacinth Iormem Alia said the attack was unprovoked and directed security agents to hunt for the suspects, his spokesman Kula said.

“Government will do everything possible to put measures in place to checkmate these things and forestall a re-occurrence,” Kalu said.

Such attacks are common in many parts of Nigeria’s northern region where local herdsmen have clashed in the past with farmers over limited access to land and water. More than 100 people have been killed this year in the violence in Benue alone. Arrests are rare after the killings.

The gunmen in the latest incident operated for more than two hours without the intervention of security forces, according to Emmanuel Udende, who represents the village at the Nigerian Senate. His comment re-echoed concerns about the security of villagers in many violent hotspots where the Nigerian security forces are far outnumbered and outgunned.

By Chinedu Asadu, AP

Video - Salsa teacher helps to dance the blues away in Nigeria

In Nigeria, the power of dance is being used to battle mental illness and the stigma attached to it. Men and women in the capital, Abuja, are coming together to attend free weekly salsa lessons for those battling trauma and depression … or even just to keep fit. Al Jazeera’s Michael Appel reports.

Al Jazeera

Petrol use in Nigeria down 28% after subsidy scrapped

Nigeria's average daily petrol consumption has fallen by 28% since President Bola Tinubu scrapped a popular but costly subsidy on the fuel at the end of May, data from the industry regulator shows.

Average daily petrol consumption fell to 48.43 million litres in June, down from the previous average of 66.9 million, according to figures released to Reuters by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

A subsidy had kept prices cheap for decades in Africa's biggest economy but it became increasingly expensive for the country - the government spent $10 billion last year - leading to wider deficits and driving up government debt.

Since the subsidy was ended, a black market in neighbouring Cameroon, Benin and Togo that relied on petrol smuggled from Nigeria has collapsed.

Despite having spent $2.41 billion on the subsidy in the first five months, Nigeria could save up to $5.10 billion this year from scrapping the petrol subsidy and from FX reforms, the World Bank said on June 27.

By Elisha Bala-Gbogbo, Reuters

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Video - President bola Tinubu on a mission to change Nigeria

 

 

Video - Documentary on the Omu of Delta State

Her Royal Majesty Obi Martha Dunkwu is the reigning omu of the Anioma people of Nigeria’s Delta State. An omu, or queen mother, is a leader of women, custodian of the market, a spiritual guide to the community and the traditional ruler – a role that goes back more than 820 years and one that was greatly reduced by colonial rule. This important institution, with its ceremonial practices, comes with its own challenges but remains a significant part of holding communities together. Chisom Ifeakandu is a Nigerian filmmaker who has worked on several film and TV productions. In 2016, she was one of 20 young African filmmakers to be sponsored by the Africa International Film Festival and the Ford Foundation to study at the Cinefabrique Film School in Lyon, France. She convened The African Way event to showcase young African theatre talent.

Al Jazeera