The former president also said Carrington offered him political asylum in the United States in 1995 during his trip to Copenhagen to attend the World Social Summit as Human Development Ambassador of the United Nations Development Programme.

But the former President stated that he turned down the asylum offer despite its tempting and assuring nature.

He said during Carrington’s tenure, the late envoy helped Nigeria in easing the move to democratic rule which had run for over a decade.

The former president disclosed this in a condolence letter to the wife of the late Ambassador, Mrs Arese Carrington.

Obasanjo said Carrington was one of the responsible, mature and respected voices that took Nigeria out of an “unwholesome situation”.

He listed these as permanent crises, threats of disintegration, prolonged devoid of democracy, and a plundered economy.

Obasanjo recalled: “Sometime in 1995, on one of my trips to Copenhagen to attend the World Social Summit as Human Development Ambassador of the United Nations Development Programme, I received the most touching of the warnings, pieces of advice and offers to me from Amb. Carrington. He called me in Copenhagen and told me categorically that I was going to be arrested on returning home and, therefore, advised me not to return home.

“But he did not stop it there, he offered me political asylum by his government in the US. That was both touching and assuring, but I decided that, tempting and assuring as the offer was, I would not take it. I came back and was arrested and imprisoned by Abacha. No doubt, his generous assistance to my family while I was a political prisoner makes me forever indebted to him. When I was in prison, he was one of the few foreign Ambassadors who regularly visited my wife to encourage her and to find out how I was doing in prison.

“I can proudly say he was a true friend and brother. He came to Nigeria with love, ate and drank Nigerian delicacies and drinks, showed a significant demonstration of oneness by walking the aisle to tie the nuptial knot outside nationality bounds with one of our illustrious daughters and that is you, and he was loved and appreciated by the people through giving him a Yoruba name “Omowale” and naming a street after him in Victoria Island, Lagos.

“I have always known Amb. Carrington to execute his duties with panache and grace as he addressed the most complicated international crises. He played a key role in the actualization of the objectives of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for which Nigeria enjoyed the support of Gates Foundation who made available funds that could be used to support its AIDS programme sometime in 2000. His works, values, and principles have had and will continue to have a great influence and impact in Africa and beyond.

“It is right that people from around the world at this point in time have been generously pouring encomiums on your late husband. I am, therefore, using this medium to add my voice to theirs in recognizing his outstanding commitment and devotion to the advancement of humanity. We celebrate his life well spent in the service of humanity and we will continue to project his principles and values in contributing to governance, security and sustainable development of the African continent. His legacies will live on and continue to touch many lives and generations to come.

“Indeed, it gladdens my heart to know not only Nigeria and Africa, but many nations around the world had a friend in him. Life is not about how long you spend but how well you live to serve humanity, Amb. Carrington lived well and successfully by making unique contributions to make the world a better place than he met it. I pray that the Almighty will grant you and the entire members of his family the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.”

This is contained in a statement by the Department of Justice and Equality on Thursday.

The Minister for Justice and Equality, Helen McEntee, said, “I am very pleased to sign this Memorandum of Understanding between Ireland and Nigeria. This represents the culmination of a long process which began with an internationally led investigation.

“The Criminal Assets Bureau took part in this international operation which led to the freezing of over $1bn in funds worldwide, of which approximately €5.5 million was identified in a Dublin based bank account.

“The assets misappropriated by the late Gen. Sani Abacha, former Head of State of Nigeria, were frozen in a bank account in Ireland by the Criminal Assets Bureau in October 2014. Following an application by the Nigerian authorities last year, the High Court has recently made an order providing for the return of these assets to Nigeria.”

According to the minister, the return of these assets will be the first time that Ireland has taken such action and will be a concrete demonstration of Ireland’s commitment to international cooperation in the fight against corruption and to assisting countries which have been adversely affected by corruption in the past.

McEntee said, “This very welcome outcome has been achieved by significant multi-agency collaboration in Ireland. In addition to the work of the CAB and my own department, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has worked closely with the authorities in Nigeria in relation to this matter.

“I want to congratulate all those who worked towards achieving the conclusion of this Memorandum. It demonstrates the intent of both states to uphold our shared values and our international obligations to eliminate corruption.”

Speaking at the 22nd commemoration of his death in Kano on Monday, June 8, Mustapha insisted that the late Head of State worked effortlessly towards the betterment of Nigerians. He said Abacha saved over $9 billion in foreign reserves before he died.

He said “What Abacha has done to Nigeria can’t be forgotten in the annals of history and generations yet unborn. Abacha came in and found only N200m dollars in the foreign reserve but before his demise was able to revamp the economy and stabilise it to the extent that he saved over $9bn in foreign reserves. Only God will reward General Sani Abacha for the laudable initiative he made in transforming this country to an enviable height.”

The US Embassy in Nigeria said in a statement on Wednesday that there is $167m in stolen assets in France while there is a separate $152m in the UK which is being challenged in court.

The statement read in part “The funds returned last week are distinct and separate from an additional $ 167m in stolen assets also forfeited in the United Kingdom and France, as well as $ 152m still in active litigation in the United Kingdom.”

It was  reported yesterday that the U.S. Department of Justice said Bagudu who spent six months in federal detention in Texas while awaiting extradition to the Island of Jersey was involved in corruption with Abacha, Buhari’s administration is insisting there is a 17-year-old agreement which entitles Bagudu to the recovered funds.

The AGF in a statement released by his Special Assistant on Public Relations Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, stated that the report is unfounded and baseless.

The statement reads “The story regarding paying a Governor certain amount of the repartraited Abacha loot is unfounded and baseless. It is only a fiction and figment of imagination of mischief makers who are bent on destroying the good efforts of the Federal Government. The report should be disregarded by any sensible and well-meaning persons”