Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof Itse Sagay (SAN), says he is shocked by the claim that Gen. Sani Abacha, the late military dictator, did not steal from Nigeria’s treasury and stash the money away in foreign accounts.

Despite a series of recoveries of funds said to have been looted by Abacha’s regime, his wife, Maryam, has insisted that her husband did not steal.

“What is this amount of money after 22 years? You say, ‘Oh! We have found this amount of money and we’re bringing it back! It is a shame to tell lies on a dead man! It is a shame to tell lies on your leader,” Maryam said recently.

But in an interview with newsmen, PACAC Chairman, Sagay, said he was shocked that anyone could claim that Abacha did not loot the nation’s treasury.

Sagay wondered if all the funds recovered from foreign lands were proceeds from Abacha’s foreign estate.

He said,

“All the funds being recovered, are they part of his (Abacha’s) salary or private estate? What else are you going to call it other than looting public funds? I don’t understand that argument and I didn’t think that anybody could be arguing that way. I’m shocked to hear that. Where did the money come from? From a private business?”