“How Tinubu’s Secret Recording Exposed Abacha’s Loot,” Buhari’s Former Aide Speaks
- An author and former senator, Babafemi Ojudu, has recounted how Asiwaju Bola Tinubu used a hidden tape recorder to expose General Sani Abacha’s looting
- In an exclusive interview, Ojudu, who was a journalist, said he risked his life to publish the story
- Sani Abacha ruled Nigeria from 1993 to 1998 and reportedly stole about $5 billion during his time in power
Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.
Senator Babafemi Ojudu, a former special adviser on political matters to ex-Nigerian leader, Muhammadu Buhari, has revealed how President Bola Ahmed Tinubu cleverly recorded evidence of corruption during Nigeria’s military rule in the 1990s.
Source: Twitter
Ojudu shared the account during an interview with Edmund Obilo while discussing his book, Adventures of A Guerrilla Journalist.
As reported by BusinessDay, the story involves Sani Abacha, who ruled Nigeria from 1993 to 1998, and reportedly stole $5 billion and hid it in international banks in countries like the United States, Switzerland, and the UK.
However, the Nigerian government is still working to recover the money.
How Tinubu exposed Abacha's looting
According to Babafemi Ojudu, Tinubu secretly recorded evidence of corruption during Nigeria’s military rule under Sani Abacha in the 1990s, while living in exile in the United Kingdom.
Tinubu strategically used a hidden tape recorder during a meeting with a Jewish lawyer to document Abacha’s financial crimes, which involved stealing billions of dollars and hiding them in banks around the world.
Abacha's loot: Ojudu's bold move
Despite Tinubu’s warning, Ojudu went on to publish the information he obtained from the tape, which he claimed led to a controversy in the polity and a major shake-up in Abacha’s regime.
He said it also put his life at risk as against Tinubu's will.
Ojudu explained:
“I was excited as a newsman. We went there and sat before the lawyer. He (the lawyer) kept reeling out how Abacha was stealing, and who was helping him.
“The name that was constantly mentioned was the Chagoury brothers. I was so excited but I felt so bad that because I couldn’t write. I needed to take notes. I kept trying to memorise whatever I could.
“He said to me (Ojudu): Don’t worry yourself. I had a tape recorder with me. That time I went to the bathroom, I went to change the recording from side one to side two. That is why I flushed the toilet so that the man would not know that I was changing the tape.”
Read more articles about Babafemi Ojudu here:
- “Not Emi Lokan”: Babafemi Ojudu mentions former leader who could’ve ruled Nigeria better
- Babafemi Ojudu shares how he drank urine as a prisoner
Abacha family's property seized by El-Rufai recovered
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that Governor Uba Sani reversed the revocation of two Kaduna properties seized from Abacha's family in 2022 under Nasir El-Rufai’s administration.
The Abacha family, through their lawyer Reuben Atabo (SAN), welcomed the decision, calling it a gesture of fairness and justice after a period of embarrassment.
The properties were reinstated through KADGIS, with conditions requiring the family to settle all outstanding fees before finalizing ownership.
Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
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Source: Legit.ng
