Nigeria risk losing US-based properties over unpaid MKO Abiola’s settlement
Naijawire.com - Nigeria may lose some of her properties based in the US if the Federal Government fail to pay on time, the $100 million judgment entered against the country by a United States’ district court which found former head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, guilty over the death of acclaimed winner of the June 12 election, Bashorun MKO Abiola.
Making this known to the House of Representatives Committee on Justice, the controversial Minister of [in]Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa (SAN), said that there are high level moves to reach an out of court settlement on how Nigeria will pay the debt without losing any attached properties. The man with the longest official portfolio in Nigeria, further confirmed that Nigeria had been given up till January 14 to settle the matter out of court or risk losing properties belonging to the Federal Government attached to the court judgment.
The AGF regretted that some prominent Nigerians had testified against the Federal Government during the trial culminating in the former head of state losing the case. This man [Aondoakaa] is never shy of of controversy. This clearly show that the controversial Minister of Justice and a Senior Advocate for that matter, does not have any respect for the rule of law. One wonders if he had expected the so-called high profile Nigerians to lie under oath or keep their mouth shut in the face of injustice of which he is well noted for. It will be interesting to see how he as the AGF of Nigeria will expect to successfully prosecute corruption cases in Nigeria if all government witnesses, fail to testify in court.
The FG currently owe well over N16 billion to settle pressing judgment debts with as much needed for the established judgments and legal services.
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