The US Targeted His Assets. Nigeria Made Him Budget Minister by William Clowes

Atiku Bagudu in talks with US Department Of Justice over forfeiture complaint Politician settled with the Nigerian government in 2003

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has appointed Atiku Bagudu, who the US has accused of helping a former dictator loot the country of billions of dollars in the 1990s, as his budget minister.

Bagudu hasn’t been convicted of any crime but in an ongoing forfeiture lawsuit before a federal judge in Washington, the US Justice Department alleges he was part of a group headed by former military ruler Sani Abacha that “embezzled, misappropriated and extorted billions from the government of Nigeria.” The former governor and senator was sworn in on Monday as minister of budget and economic planning.