Recurring Repatriations

According to the statement issued by the US Department of Justice, this latest tranche of repatriated funds brings the total amount of repatriated funds in this case to approximately $332.4 million. But what has been done with the millions that have already been repatriated to the Nigerian government by the US?

Written by Afoma Dike

Nov 22, 2022

Graphics by Onyinye Dike

On Thursday 17 November 2022, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) made a new announcement regarding the repatriation of funds reportedly pilfered by the now deceased General Sani Abacha and his accomplices during Abacha’s tenure as Nigeria’s military head of state (1993-1998).

The US DoJ said that in accordance with a 23 August 2022 agreement, it had transferred over $20.6 million to the Nigerian government. According to the statement issued by the DoJ, this latest tranche of repatriated funds brings the total amount of repatriated funds in this case to approximately $332.4 million.

The statement recalls that:

In 2014, a judgment was entered in the District of Columbia ordering the forfeiture of approximately $500 million located in accounts around the world, as the result of a civil forfeiture complaint for more than $625 million traceable to money laundering involving the proceeds of General Abacha’s corruption. In 2020, the department repatriated over $311.7 million of the forfeited assets that had been located in the Bailiwick of Jersey. Last year, the U.K. government enforced the U.S. judgment against the additional over $20.6 million.

As reported by The Republic earlier this year, in August 2022, officials made proposals as to what the August 2022 tranche of $23 million ought to be used for. Some officials, such as Nigeria’s attorney general, Abubakar Malami, said that developing infrastructure within the country would be prudent use of the recovered Abacha loot. However, others like the national president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, thought it best that the recovered funds be used to bring about an end to the ASUU strike.

But what has been done with the millions that have already been repatriated to the Nigerian government by the US?

You’ve Reached Your Limit of Free Reading.

The Republic is a Nigerian media-tech company dedicated to explaining our time—through deeply reported journalism on power, culture and society.

Ad-Free Reading Experience

Focused consumption without interruptions.

Unlimited Access to Exclusive Archives

Years of reporting at your fingertips.

In-Depth Deep-dive Reporting

Long-form journalism that matters.

Create a free account to continue reading this month and access more of our work.

About the Author

Afoma Dike

is a writer based in Lagos and a former Associate Editor at The Republic.

Comments

SHOP THE REPUBLIC

The Sinister Side of Oluremi Tinubu’s ‘Entrepreneurial Citizenship’

The recent rhetoric of micro-entrepreneurship advanced by Nigeria’s first lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, harks back to longstanding assumptions about poverty in Africa while echoing a newer, more insidious discourse of entrepreneurial citizenship. Taken together, these narratives serve the interests of African governments and powerful external actors.

—March 22, 2026

The Night Women of Benin City

As daylight fades in Benin City, women step into the night to sustain families, communities and an informal economy that keeps the city alive. The women-led night markets of Benin transform into spaces of survival, solidarity and quiet resistance.

—March 22, 2026

The Speculative Worlds of ‘Yan Crypto

You thought the Nigerian cryptocurrency ecosystem was confined to Lagos? Think again. Meet northern Nigeria’s ‘yan crypto and the digital worlds of volatile money they deftly navigate.

—December 21, 2025

Inside Nigerian Freelancers’ Currency Trap

Nigeria’s freelance economy is growing, but for millions of digital workers, receiving international payments remains an extreme sport. If the country wants to export digital labour and capture its value at home, it must first fix how that labour gets paid.

—November 9, 2025

What Naira Decoupling Means for Nigeria’s Economy

For decades, oil has dictated the fate of the naira. When crude prices soared, the currency strengthened; when they collapsed, the naira buckled. This cycle, so familiar to Nigerians, once seemed unbreakable.

Subscribe to our free newsletter

You're in — welcome to The Republic

Complete your onboarding

Read

Connect

Apps

More

Read

Connect

Apps

More

Recurring Repatriations