Trump Shuts Down DOJ Team Investigating Abacha’s Stolen Billions
Trump Shuts Down DOJ Team Investigating Abacha’s Stolen Billions. U.S. President Donald Trump has disbanded the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative, a specialized unit within the Department of Justice (DOJ) responsible for tracing and recovering billions of dollars in stolen assets linked to corrupt foreign leaders. The initiative, launched in 2010, played a key role in high-profile cases, including the 1MDB scandal and the recovery of funds looted by former Nigerian head of state, Gen. Sani Abacha. Under the program, the DOJ successfully forfeited $23 million in Abacha-linked assets in 2022, bringing the total amount recovered to $334.7 million, which was repatriated to Nigeria. According to reports from The Heritage Times, the decision to shut down the unit was made under the directive of Attorney General Pam Bondi, with a DOJ memo obtained by Reuters stating that resources would now be redirected toward fighting drug cartels and international gangs. “This policy requir...