Abacha loot: Court bars FG from inviting foreign lawyers

Hassan Ibrahim, Kaduna - 11.03.2008

THE Federal High Court, Kaduna, on Monday gave an order restraining the Federal Government from inviting foreign judicial officers into Nigeria to take evidence from witnesses in respect of money allegedly stolen by the late General Sani Abacha.

Justice Mohammed Lawal Shuaibu gave the order in his ruling on in originating summons jointly brought by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice; the Inspector General of Police, Mr Mike Okiro; the Chairman of the Special Investigational Panel, Deputy Commissioner of Police P.Y. Gana; the National Security Adviser and Magistrate Sonja Nachbaur against Alhaji Mohammed Abacha and Alhaji Abba Sani Abacha.

They claimed that the Federal Government had invited foreign judicial officers to sit at the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) for the purposes of taking evidence from witnesses between tomorrow and Wednesday “in respect of the forfeiture proceedings in Liechtenstein against the family of the late General Sani Abacha,” despite the ruling by Justice G.A. Jinadu against such move in August 28, 2007.

“I must express my disgust and say that it is a shame and an affront to the territorial integrity of this nation for a Swiss judicial officer to be invited to this country to try a Nigerian citizen for an offence allegedly committed under Swiss law on our territory at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison which is not even an open court,” Justice Jinadu had stated.

But Mr. Reuben Atobo, in the suit filed on behalf of the plaintiff, formulated five questions which they wanted the court to determine and claimed that Magistrate Sonja Nachbaur, being a foreigner, could not exercise judicial function in Nigeria in respect of criminal proceedings in Liechtenstein against the family of the late Abacha since “it is against the principle of international law.”