The United States on Thursday signed an agreement with Nigeria for the repatriation of $954,807.40 of the looted assets recovered from the former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha. The US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, signed on behalf of her country, while Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba, the Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, signed, on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, for Nigeria. Speaking at the event held in Abuja, Jedy-Agba said President Muhammadu Buhari had directed that the repatriated funds should be deployed to the improvement of health facilities in Bayelsa State.
She said the $954,807.40 was derived from property and investment funds in Maryland and Massachusetts in the US. “You may recall that this asset return arose from the forfeiture and recovery of approximately $1million USD linked to the corrupt practices of former Bayelsa State Governor, D.S.P Alamieyeseigha. The United States Government, in collaboration with the Federal Republic of Nigeria, initiated and completed forfeiture proceedings against certain real property and investment funds located in Maryland and Massachusetts against the former governor, which resulted in the net forfeiture to the Government of the United States of America totalling the sum of $954,807.40. Following the court order, the FRN and the USA have negotiated and finalised the terms of the asset return agreement,” she said.
The US Ambassador said that the agreement signing event was the conclusion of a legal process that was launched over 15 years ago to recover some assets unlawfully acquired by Alamieyeseigha while he served from 1999 until he was impeached in 2005. She said the recovery was a result of the case the US brought a case against Alamieyeseigha, through the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative, which is aimed at combating money laundering and corruption. Biriyai Dambo, the Bayelsa State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, who represented Governor Douye Diri, said the governor would ensure that the funds were applied for the purpose for which it was meant. Dambo thanked the US and Nigerian governments for their efforts in ensuring the repatriation of the looted funds.
