I wanted to take the time to let everyone know about the people online that have made a difference in my life. Those that have made made it more meaningful…
Like Mariam Abacha, wife of the late General Sanni Abacha of Nigeria. For the past decade or so, I’ve had quite a strong relationship with her and her family.
See, 12 years ago her husband, then the Nigerian Military Head of State died mysteriously as a result of cardiac arrest. Now this left a void in the control of the country and the new democratic government had the assets of the Abachas frozen by President Abdusalami Abubakar because of alleged looting of the nation’s wealth.
Of course, this was a downright lie. The money came as a result of a pay-back contract deal with a Russian firm in Nigeria’s multi-billion dollar Ajaokuta Steel Plant.
The Abacha family has three metal trunk boxes with $33 million all in foreign exchange deposited in a security company in Holland. The Dutch, though, don’t have any knowledge of the deposit, because it was done in the guise that the trunk contained precious stones.
This money was supposed to be for the settlement of the General’s Personal Royal Guards on his self-succession bid and campaigns – but they can not trace it because the funds were deposited as African Art Work from the National Commission for Museum and Monuments.
To make things even worse, her son Mohammed has been in prison for years undergoing questioning and charged with conspiracy and murder by the government.
To this point in my time on the earth, my whole life has been about me, me, me…
So when I was contacted by Dr. Galadima Hassan and Farouk Bakoh, lawyers representing Mariam Abacha (having gotten my particulars from the family library, of course!) – I just felt I needed to step in. I finally saw the opportunity to help someone else for a change.
I got in touch with Abbah Abacha, her elder brother.
I reached out to Abu Ibrahima & Musa Jubri, the nephews of the late General.
I even formed a working partnership with Prince Isa Ahmed, Mariam’s younger brother who runs most of her secret business overseas.
After all this time the past 12 years, together we’re almost there securing the much needed assets allowing the Abachas to create a new life for themselves.
The weekend of SOBCon in Chicago, I’m finally getting sent the certificate of deposit, number and airway bill of the luggage and other related documents so I can claim the trunks which shall be appropriately tagged “family treasures” and “diplomatic baggage”.
Yes, I am receiving 15% of the funds after the transaction, but the nearly 5 million dollars really means nothing to me. It’s the feeling of knowing I made a difference in someone’s life. That’s worth so much more than that. It’s priceless.
Although we’ve never met, I want to say thank you to Mariam and the Abacha family.
You’ve made my life so much clearer & meaningful. It has changed the way I see the world.