Former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Kanu Agabi, yesterday urged the immediate repatriation of billions of dollars allegedly stashed abroad, warning that the present generation would fail in its duty if Nigeria’s looted wealth remained outside the country.
Agabi made the call while delivering the keynote address at the public presentation of Electronic Evidence, Second Edition (With Evidence Act, 2011) and A Compendium of Cases on Electronic Evidence (Volume II, 2020–2025), authored by retired High Court judge, Hon. Justice (Professor) Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye. The occasion also featured the launch of the Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye Educational Foundation for Indigent Students.
Speaking before an audience that included the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), senior judicial officers, lawyers and academics, Agabi said recovering funds allegedly hidden abroad should be treated as a national priority.
“As I see the Director-General of the DSS and the Chairman of the EFCC sitting beside themselves, I want to say this: We have billions—hundreds of billions—abroad,” he said.
Warning that the country could no longer afford to delay action, the elder statesman added: “This generation will have failed if we do not bring back those funds. That is what we must do now. However we do it, we must do it. Whatever encouragement we can give to those who have money stashed abroad to bring it back, let us give it to them.”
Beyond the question of asset recovery, Agabi urged Nigerians not to give in to despair despite the nation’s economic and governance challenges.
He described Nigeria as a resilient country with the capacity to overcome its present difficulties, stressing that every nation had passed through seasons of hardship before attaining stability and prosperity.
“We are a competent nation. We are intelligent. We are resilient. We are a God-fearing nation. Of course, we have problems, but we shall overcome,” he said.
The former Attorney-General cautioned against narratives that deepen national divisions, urging Nigerians instead to focus on the values and institutions that strengthen unity.
“We should stop stigmatizing the nation as an artificial creation. We should stop rejecting the Constitution as a product of the military. We should stop placing emphasis on the things that divide rather than on those that unite. We should unite,” he said.
Agabi also mounted a strong defence of the judiciary, insisting that while no judicial system was perfect, Nigeria’s judges deserved more encouragement than condemnation.
According to him, public criticism alone would not strengthen the institution, especially at a time when it continued to face enormous pressure and scrutiny.
“We do not have a perfect judiciary. No nation has a perfect judiciary. We are not going to transform our judiciary by words of condemnation. What our judges need now are words of encouragement,” he said.
He noted that although some judicial officers had fallen short of expectations, the overwhelming majority had remained faithful to their oath despite many temptations.
“The surprising thing is not that some judges have fallen, but that the vast majority of them have resisted,” Agabi said, adding that the courage, competence and sacrifices of Nigerian judges had played a vital role in preserving the country’s democracy and constitutional order.
“Had it not been for the courage and competence of our judges, had it not been for their dedication and sacrifices, this nation would long since have perished,” he stated.
The senior lawyer paid glowing tribute to Justice Ajileye, describing him as an exemplary jurist whose integrity and scholarship had earned him respect within and outside the legal profession.
“Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye deserves all the respect we can afford. He is a man whose conduct, both in public and in private, has never brought him under any kind of suspicion,” Agabi said.
He described the retired judge as a credit to his family, state, the judiciary and the nation, adding that his contributions to legal scholarship would benefit generations of lawyers, judges and researchers.
Agabi commended the publication of the books on electronic evidence, describing them as timely interventions that would deepen legal knowledge in one of the fastest-evolving areas of law and help document Nigeria’s legal history.
“We must write our own history,” he said, while urging legal practitioners to cultivate the habit of continuous study.
He also questioned the practice of retiring experienced judicial officers while they were still intellectually productive, asking why the nation failed to deploy their expertise in legislative and other public institutions after retirement.
“Why do we retire them so early from the public service? Why do we retire them in their prime, when they are at their best? Why, while they are in retirement, do we not avail ourselves of their experience, carried over many decades at great expense to the nation?” he asked.
Agabi further called for greater investment in education and philanthropy, describing the launch of the Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye Educational Foundation for Indigent Students as both timely and necessary.
He observed that rising economic hardship had increased the need for individuals and institutions to support indigent students, adding that there was “an acute shortage of good Samaritans” in the country.
He urged Nigerians to remain hopeful, support national institutions and contribute to building a stronger, more united and prosperous nation.