Obama urged to ensure return of Nigeria"s stolen assets

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Barack Obama to back up his commitment on stolen assets by taking thoughtful and aggressive steps towards returning them to Nigeria.

The organisation which made the plea in a statement issued in Lagos ‎ahead of the meeting of President Muhammadu Buhari with officials of the Obama government this week,‎ urged the US government to deal with the problem with the seriousness and intensity that has been previously lacking in similar exercise.

In the statement signed by SERAP executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organisation welcomed the commitment by President Obama to assist the Buhari government to track down billions of dollars in stolen assets from the country.
It stated that greater efforts are required by the Obama government to follow through its commitment if it is to secure a measure of justice for Nigerian victims of corruption and money laundering.

It urged the Obama government to move quickly to resolve the issue of returning the assets to the country in an expeditious, just and fair manner.
“Unless this is done, the rare opportunity the Obama government now has to right the injustice aided and abetted by the US banks will be gone,” it said.

According to the SERAP, “Recovering stolen assets from the US is a lingering issue that requires justice and fairness especially given the complicity of US banks and other institutions in corruption and money laundering in Nigeria, and the fact that stolen assets have contributed to the growth of US economy. Therefore, thoughtful and aggressive steps are needed if the Obama government is to change the asset recovery fatigue that characterised previous US administrations.”

It therefore urged President Obama to “establish a Presidential Advisory Committee and facilitate a congressional hearing on stolen assets from Nigeria. These initiatives would be tremendously important in bringing renewed attention to repatriation of stolen assets to Nigeria.

“Corruption, money laundering and systematic violations of human rights go hand in hand and that is why President Obama should do everything within his power to get to the bottom of the stolen assets from Nigeria kept in the US,” the organisation said.

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