”Abacha not a thief” – PDP chieftain declares after former Head of State’s latest loot returns to Nigeria

Uche Rochas, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, has declared that former Nigerian military dictator Sani Abacha was not a thief.

Rochas was reacting to the latest news that France is set to return $150 million to Nigeria, recovered from Abacha.

Writing on social media, Rochas stated that the contentious issue of the funds attributed to his regime was for the benefit of Nigeria.

Rochas made a startling claim that challenges the widely accepted narrative surrounding Abacha’s tenure. According to him, General Abacha did not personally loot money from Nigeria’s treasury.

Instead, he suggested that Abacha engaged in selling Nigerian oil through proxy due to international sanctions imposed on the country during his rule.

The post insinuated that after Abacha’s demise, attempts were made to divert the funds, but whistleblowers intervened, leading to the characterization of the funds as “loot.”

He also vehemently denied the label of “thief” for Abacha, contesting the prevailing belief that he was directly involved in the embezzlement of public funds during his time in power.

According to him,”General Sani Abacha didn’t loot any money from Nigeria’s treasury; he sold our oil through proxy because of sanctions.

”After his death, they wanted to divert the funds, but whistleblowers said no, and that’s how the money became a loot. Abacha is not a thief.”

The late General’s administration has long been under scrutiny for massive corruption, with estimates indicating that billions of dollars were illicitly taken from Nigeria’s treasury and stashed in foreign accounts during his regime.

Abacha’s legacy has been closely tied to allegations of embezzlement, and efforts to recover these alleged looted funds have been ongoing, leading to legal battles and international initiatives aimed at repatriating the funds back to Nigeria.

-news.ng