Buba Galadima has revealed that the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha didn’t loot the country’s funds, but stashed them in foreign banks to avoid US sanctions.
In an interview with TheNation newspaper, Galadima said Abacha saved money abroad to save the country from an impending US sanction during his administration.
The 72 year old politician, who was the Director-General, National Maritime Authority during Abacha’s regime said the late Head of State was advised by the then President of Iraq, Saddam Hussein and his counterpart in Libya, Muammar Gaddafi to save the monies in foreign banks.
He said,
“I have a completely different idea about what you called Abacha loot. I know as a fact that at that time, Abacha with knowledge of key members of his government, who knew about this money being stacked out, he was rightly advised by some of his colleague presidents around the world.
“Saddam Hussein was one of them. Muammar Gaddafi was one of them. They advised him that there was the likelihood that the US could sanction Nigeria and as such he should save money outside that could last the country, at least, six months, even Nigeria’s account was blocked by the US, there won’t be panic.
I was a key figure in that government. I was one of the so-called Abacha boys if you must know. I was the Director-General, National Maritime Authority, whereby export and import to Nigeria, including crude, were directly coming under my desk. So, am in a position to talk about Abacha and the so-called loot”.
