Swiss lawyer explained how he helped FG recover over $2.4bn stolen by Abacha

A Swiss lawyer has explained how he helped the Nigerian government recover billions of dollars stolen by the late General Sabi Abacha.

After looting Nigeria’s reserves, Abacha who ruled from 1993 until his death in 1998, died before spending his loot, prompting an international treasure hunt that has lasted for decades.

Enrico Monfrini, said he received a phone call in September 1999 from former Nigeria president Olusegun Obasanjo asking if he could help recover the stolen funds.

Monfrini says a high ranking government official was then sent to Geneva by Obasanjo, to recruit him to get hold of the money looted by Abacha.

“He called me in the middle of the night, he asked me if I could come to his hotel, he had something of importance, Monfrini said.

“I said, It’s a bit late but okay.

“He asked me can you find the money and can you block the money? Can you arrange that this money is returned to Nigeria?

“I said yes, but in fact I didn’t know much about the work at that time and I had to learn very quickly, so I did.

Monfrini says the Nigerian police then handed him the details of a few closed Swiss bank accounts, which appeared to be holding some of the money Abacha and his associates had diverted.

He said police investigations in November 1998 found that more than $1.5bn (£1.1bn) was moved by Abacha and his associates.

He said Abacha used sleek methods in diverting the funds.

He said one way was that Abacha would tell an adviser to make a request to him for money for a vague security issue, he will then sign off the request which the adviser would then take to the central bank, which would hand out the money in cash, that will then be taken to Abacha’s house.

Monfrini said another method included awarding state contracts to friends at inflated prices and then keeping the difference and demanding foreign companies pay huge amounts before being allowed to operate in the country.

“The documents showing the history of the accounts and gave me a few links to other accounts, said Mr Monfrini.

Monfrini said he took some of the documents and information to the Swiss attorney general and put it to Swiss authorities that the Abacha family and their associates formed a criminal organisation which allowed the Swiss government to take a different view towards the different bank accounts where money was stored.

The attorney general issued a general alert to all the banks in Switzerland demanding that they disclose the existence of any accounts opened under the Abachas’ names and aliases.