So Gumsu Fatima Abacha, the daughter to former Nigeria military dictator, Sani Abacha recently posted a rare photo with her mother, Mariam Abacha and captioned it “Mother’
A twitter
user, who is obviously vexed with the family commented on the photo, writing
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“tif tif family *in Fela’s voice”
Gumsu who is known for epic clapbacks replied him with
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“Clap for yourself”
Sani Abacha was a Nigerian Army officer and politician who served as the de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998. On 17 November 1993, Abacha overthrew the short-lived transitional government of Chief Ernest Shonekan.
In September 1994, he issued a decree that placed his government above
the jurisdiction of the courts, effectively giving him absolute power.
Another decree gave him the right to detain anyone for up to three
months without trial.
During Abacha’s regime, he and his family reportedly stole a total of £5 billion from the country’s coffers. In 2004, Abacha was listed as the fourth most corrupt leader in history.
Interestingly, during a service marking the 10th year anniversary of
the death of the dictator, several former Nigerian heads of state,
including Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, refuted claims that Abacha looted the country, claiming such accusations are “baseless”. Abacha’s national security adviser, Alhaji Ismaila Gwarzo, played a central role in the looting and transfer of money to overseas accounts. His son Mohammed Abacha and best friend Alh. Mohammed M. Sada were also involved.
A preliminary report published by the Abdulsalam Abubakar
transitional government in November 1998 described the process. Sani
Abacha told Ismaila Gwarzo to provide fake funding requests, which
Abacha approved. The funds were usually sent in cash or travellers’
cheques by the Central Bank of Nigeria
to Gwarzo, who took them to Abacha’s house. Mohammed Sada then arranged
to launder the money to offshore accounts. But interestingly, several
calls for the prosecution of MM.Sada were turned down by the Olusegun
Obasanjo presidency even after being indicted by the Justice Oputa lead
Human Rights Violation Investigation Commission (popularly known as
Oputa Panel). An estimated $1.4 billion in cash was delivered in this way.
In March 2014, the United States Department of Justice revealed that
it had frozen more than $458 million believed to have been illegally
obtained by Abacha and other corrupt officials.
