Kebbi, 3 other states get $322m Abacha loot

Beneficiaries in four additional states of Edo, Ondo, Enugu, and Kebbi have been included in the conditional transfers of the $322.5 million stolen by the late former Head of State, General Sani Abacha.

The executive director of the African Network for Environmental and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Reverend David Ugolor, disclosed this yesterday while briefing newsmen on the progress of the organisation’s monitoring of the disbursement of the funds.

“Civil society was among the entities that agreed in December 2017 to monitor the utilisation of the recovered funds from Switzerland as a part of the Social Safety Net Programme (NASSP) in the form of Conditional Cash Transfers to the poor and vulnerable Nigerians, which is one of the poverty alleviation programmes under the National Social Investment Programme.

“We recommend that extensive public awareness activities be put in place to notify the beneficiaries before payment commences. The huge cash payment in communities constitutes a security risk as those with bank accounts could be considered for easy transfer,” he said.