General Sani Abacha - $3bn
The late military dictator of Nigeria stole an esti¬mated US$3bn during his five-year rule. Abacha (who died of a heart attack in 1998 though there was a rumour that he died of Viagra overdose) and his im¬mediate family apparently used Nigeria's treasury as their private kitty. Swiss banks were ordered to return US$535m under a settlement between the Nigerian authorities and Abacha's family and business associates. About US$ 1bn also had to be transferred to Nigeria from banks around the world. The Abacha family was allowed to keep US$ 100m. Nigeria's anti-corruption commission said past rulers had stolen or misused £220bn, equivalent to 300 years of British aid for the entire African continent.
National Movements and New States in Africa