‘US Suspects Federal Government’ – Former Lawmaker Yusuf Explores Diezani’s Repatriated Loot

Published January 11, 2025 at 9:23 AM

Former federal lawmaker representing Taraba Central Senatorial District, Senator Abubakar Yusuf, has claimed that the United States (US) remains skeptical about Nigeria’s ability to manage its resources.

Yusuf made these remarks during his appearance on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ program on Friday, January 10, 2025.

Yusuf’s statement comes in response to the American government’s return of $52.88 million in recovered assets to Nigeria, which were linked to former Nigerian petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke and her associates.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, announced the recovery during a formal signing ceremony for the asset return agreement in Abuja.

Fagbemi explained that $50 million of the recovered funds would be allocated through the World Bank for rural electrification projects, while the remaining $2.88 million would go to the International Institute of Justice to support the justice system and anti-corruption efforts.

However, Yusuf criticized the US’s mandate for how the funds should be used.

He stated, “For the United States of America to say it should go through the World Bank and be spent on rural electrification, is that the most pressing need? Today, we are grappling with insecurity far more than electricity in rural areas. Why should the money go through the World Bank for rural electricity? There’s something suspicious.

‘The US is suspicious of the federal government of Nigeria in how we utilize our resources. In the first place, these funds are ours; they have been recovered. So why should they be channeled through the World Bank?