The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami has explained why the Federal Government and not Delta State would be the beneficiary of the stolen assets recovered from former Delta State Governor, James Ibori.
Nigeria on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Kingdom to return the sum of £4.2 million of stolen assets stolen by the ex governor.
The AGF then announced that the recovered funds ill be used for the construction of the second Niger Bridge, Abuja-Kano road, and Lagos-Ibadan Express road.
Speaking in an interview on Channels Television’s programme on Tuesday, he said that the federal government would receive the money because Mr Ibori’s offence was a federal crime.
“I think the major consideration to who is entitled to a fraction or the money in entirety is a function of law and international diplomacy among others,” he said.
“Constitutionally, the law in contention that is said to be breached is a federal law. And secondly, dealing with the international community, the parties of interest are the state parties and not subnational governments that are involved.
“And with those backgrounds in mind, all the processes that are associated with the recovery are processes consummated by the federal government and indeed the federal government are the victims of crime and not subnational.
“The law alleged to have been breach is a federal law and the parties are nationals and not subnationals – the UK where the money was looted to and the Nigerian government that had to pursue the recovery of such money.”
When quizzed if Delta State will be a beneficiary of the looted funds, the GF said that will be a question of what the law says.
“Whether Delta State government will benefit from it or not benefit, is a function of local law,
“But certainly the agreement as consummated by the parties is thee benefit of the Nigerian state as a victim of crime and not the Delta State government as subnational,” he concluded.
