Yakubu Maikyau, the new NBA president who counsels Kebbi governor, Bagudu on how to keep, profit from Abacha loot

Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria on Saturday emerged as the 31st President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

Beyond his winning and taking over from the incumbent, Olumide Akpata, the first NBA president who isn’t a SAN, Maikyau may have a tough time proving that his tenure will be one that will uphold truth, justice, fairness and transparency.

Maikyau it turns out, is the lead counsel for Kebbi State governor, Atiku Bagudu.

Bagudu is known for laundering billions of naira for the late dictator, Sani Abacha and Maikyau, Bagudu’s counsel has worked tirelessly with the governor’s foreign attorneys to keep the Nigerian government from recovering all of Abacha’s loot.

In situations where some of the loot gets recovered, Maikyau has allegedly counseled Bagudu on how best to negotiate for a percentage of the loot from the federal government.

In one instance, Bagudu succeeded on his counsel’s alleged advice, to convince the Federal Government to pay him $110m, about N41.8bn, out of the $155m, about N58.9bn stolen by Abacha.

It was part of the terms of agreement struck with the federal government in 2018, to transfer ownership of the investment portfolios to Nigeria, which would immediately pay 98.5m euros to the Kebbi governor and his affiliates.

Bagudu had claimed the money was part of an investment portfolio held in trust for the Abachas

Unfortunately, the United Kingdom and the United States resisted that plan.

It is however unclear if Maiyaku would continue rendering services to Bagudu now that he is NBA president.